The Writing on the Wall
1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father5:2 Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18 had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers5:7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11 and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed 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 could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10The queen,5:10 Or queen mother hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22“But you, Belshazzar, his son,5:22 Or descendant; or successor have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25“This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26“Here is what these words mean:
Mene5:26 Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27Tekel5:27 Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28Peres5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians,5:30 Or Chaldeans was slain, 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.5:31 In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.
Ɔfasu Ho Nkyerɛw
1Mfe bebree akyi no, Ɔhene Belsasar too pon kɛse maa ne mpanyimfo apem, na ɔne wɔn nom nsa. 2Bere a nsa no ama Belsasar ani agye no, ɔhyɛe sɛ, wɔmfa sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ nkuruwa a nʼagya Nebukadnessar tase fii Yerusalem asɔredan mu no mmra, sɛnea ɔne ne mpanyimfo, ne yerenom ne ne mpenanom bɛnom mu nsa. 3Enti ɔde saa sikakɔkɔɔ nkuruwa a wɔtase fii Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem mu no bae, na ɔhene no ne ne mpanyimfo, ne yerenom ne ne mpenanom nom mu nsa. 4Wɔrenom nsa no, wɔkamfoo wɔn ahoni a wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ, dwetɛ, kɔbere, dade, dua ne abo ayɛ no.
5Amono mu hɔ no ara, wohui sɛ, onipa nsateaa rekyerɛw ɔhene ahemfi fasu no a ɛbɛn kaneadua no ho. Ɔhene no hwɛɛ nsa a ɛrekyerɛw no, 6na ehu maa nʼanim danee. Sɛnea ɔbɔɔ hu no maa ne kotodwe keka bobɔɔ mu, na ne nan mu yɛɛ mmrɛw.
7Ɔhene no teɛɛ mu frɛɛ se wɔmfa pɛadeahufo, Kaldeafo ne ntafowayifo mmra nʼanim. Ɔka kyerɛɛ saa Babilonia anyansafo yi se, “Obiara a obetumi akenkan nkyerɛw yi, akyerɛ me ase no, wobefura no ɔtamkɔkɔɔ a ɛyɛ adehye abasobɔde, na wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ntweaban agu ne kɔn mu. Ɔno na ɔbɛyɛ ɔman sodifo a ɔto so abiɛsa wɔ ahemman yi mu.”
8Nanso ɔhene no anyansafo no bae no, wɔn mu biara antumi ankenkan nkyerɛw no, ankyerɛ ase amma ɔhene no. 9Enti ɛmaa ɔhene no ho yeraw no yiye, na nʼanim sesae. Nʼabirɛmpɔn nso ho yeraw wɔn.
10Na bere a Ɔhemmea no tee ɔhene ne ne mpanyimfo nteɛteɛmu no, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ apontodan mu hɔ. Ɔka kyerɛɛ Belsasar se, “Nana nkwa so! Nana, nsuro na mma wʼanim nsesa! 11Ɔbarima bi wɔ wʼahenni mu ha a ɔwɔ anyame kronkron honhom wɔ ne mu. Wʼagya Nebukadnessar adedi mu no, wohuu sɛ, saa ɔbarima yi wɔ ntease nhumu ne nyansa te sɛ anyame no. Wʼagya Nebukadnessar sii no panyin wɔ nkonyaayifo, pɛadeahufo, Kaldeafo ne ntafowayifo so wɔ Babilonia. 12Saa ɔbarima Daniel yi a ɔhene too no din Beltesasar yi adwene mu dɔ, na Onyankopɔn ho nimdeɛ ne ntease ahyɛ no ma. Otumi kyerɛ dae ne kasanyansa ase, na nsɛm a ɛkyere adwene no, ɔsan mu. Momfrɛ Daniel na ɔbɛkyerɛ mo nkyerɛw no ase.”
13Enti wɔkɔfaa Daniel baa ɔhene anim. Ɔhene no bisaa no se, “Wone Daniel no a mʼagya Nebukadnessar faa wo nnommum de wo fii Yuda bae no? 14Mate wo nka sɛ, wowɔ anyame honhom wɔ wo mu, na ntease, nhumu ne nyansa ahyɛ wo ma. 15Wɔde anyansafo ne pɛadeahufo baa mʼanim sɛ wɔbɛkenkan nkyerɛw a egu ɔfasu yi ho yi na wɔnkyerɛ me ase, nanso wɔantumi. 16Na mate wo nka sɛ wutumi kyerɛ nsɛm ase; na wosan nsɛm a ɛkyere adwene mu. Na sɛ wutumi kenkan nkyerɛw a ɛwɔ ɔfasu yi ho na wokyerɛ me ase a, wobefura wo ɔtamkɔkɔɔ a ɛyɛ adehye abasobɔde, na wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ntweaban begu wo kɔn mu. Na wobɛyɛ ɔman sodifo a ɔto so abiɛsa wɔ ahemman yi mu.”
17Daniel buaa ɔhene no se, “Nana, mesrɛ, ma wʼakyɛde no ntena hɔ na fa wʼabasobɔde no ma obi foforo. Nanso, Nana, mɛkenkan nkyerɛw no, na makyerɛ wo ase.
18“Nana, Ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn maa wʼagya Nebukadnessar kɛseyɛ, anuonyam ne nidi. 19Ɔyɛɛ no kɛse ara kosii sɛ, nnipa ahorow nyinaa, aman nyinaa ne kasa biara du nʼanim a, wɔn ho popo biribiribiri. Okunkum wɔn a ɔpɛ sɛ okunkum wɔn, na ogyaa wɔn a ɔpɛ sɛ ogyaa wɔn. Ɔhyɛɛ wɔn a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔhyɛ wɔn anuonyam no anuonyam, na wɔn a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔbrɛ wɔn ase no, ɔbrɛɛ wɔn ase. 20Nanso ahomaso maa ne koma ne nʼadwene yɛɛ den no, woyii no fii nʼahengua so, sii no fam, gyee nʼanuonyam no. 21Wɔpam no fii nnipa mu. Wɔmaa no aboa adwene, na ɔne wuram mmoa tenae. Ɔwee sare te sɛ nantwi, na ɔsoro bosu fɔw no fɔkyee kosii sɛ, afei ohui sɛ, sɛɛ Ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn na odi wiase ahemman nyinaa so, na ɔno ara nso na oyi obi a ɔpɛ ma odi so.
22“Nanso wo, ne ba Belsasar, wunim eyinom nyinaa, nanso woammrɛ wo ho ase. 23Woama wo ho so atia Ɔsoro Awurade mmom. Woafa saa nkuruwa yi a esisi wʼanim a wɔfa fii nʼasɔredan mu no. Wo ne wʼatitiriw ne wo yerenom ne wo mpenanom anom mu nsa, bere a morekamfo dwetɛ, sikakɔkɔɔ, kɔbere, dade, dua ne ɔbo anyame a wonhu ade, na wɔnnte asɛm, na wonnim hwee koraa no. Na moamfa nidi amma Onyankopɔn a okura mo nkwa na odi mo nkrabea so no. 24Ne saa nti, Onyankopɔn asoma nsa yi sɛ, ɛmmɛkyerɛw nkra yi.
25“Nkra a, ɛkyerɛwee ni:
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin.
26“Saa nsɛm yi nkyerɛase ni:
“ ‘Mene’ nkyerɛase ne wɔakan. Onyankopɔn akan wʼahenni nna a aka na watwa so de aba nʼawiei.
27“ ‘Tekel’ nkyerɛase ne: wɔakari. Wɔakari wo wɔ nsania so, nanso woantumi sɔhwɛ no.
28“ ‘Parsin’ nkyerɛase ne: wɔakyekyɛ mu. Wɔakyekyɛ wʼahenni mu ama Mediafo ne Persiafo.”
29Afei Belsasar ma wofuraa Daniel ɔtamkɔkɔɔ a ɛyɛ adehye abasobɔde, de sikakɔkɔɔ ntweaban guu ne kɔn mu. Wɔsoaa no sɛ, ɔman sodifo a ɔto so abiɛsa wɔ ahemman no mu.
30Saa anadwo no ara, wokum Babiloniahene Belsasar. 31Na Dario a ofi Mede faa ahenni no, na wadi mfirihyia aduosia abien.
