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.
Maandishi Ukutani
15:1 1Fal 3:15; Mk 6:21; Es 3:1; Yer 50:35; Dan 7:1; 8:1Mfalme Belshaza alifanya karamu kubwa kwa ajili ya maelfu ya wakuu wake na akanywa mvinyo pamoja nao. 25:2 2Nya 36:10; Yer 52:19; Es 1:7; Mit 20:1; Isa 21:5; 2Fal 24:13; Es 2:14; Dan 1:2Wakati Belshaza alipokuwa akinywa mvinyo wake, aliamuru viletwe vile vikombe vya dhahabu na fedha ambavyo Nebukadneza baba yake alikuwa amevichukua kutoka hekaluni huko Yerusalemu, ili mfalme na wakuu wake, wake zake na masuria wake waweze kuvinywea. 3Kwa hiyo wakavileta vile vikombe vya dhahabu ambavyo vilikuwa vimechukuliwa kutoka Hekalu la Mungu huko Yerusalemu, naye mfalme na wakuu wake, wake zake na masuria wake wakavinywea. 45:4 Es 1:10; Ufu 9:20; Za 115:4-8; Amu 16:24; Hag 2:19; Za 135:15-18Walipokuwa wakinywa mvinyo, wakaisifu miungu ya dhahabu na fedha, ya shaba, chuma, miti na mawe.
5Ghafula vidole vya mkono wa mwanadamu vilitokea na kuandika juu ya ukuta, karibu na kinara cha taa ndani ya jumba la mfalme. Mfalme akatazama kitanga kilivyokuwa kikiandika. 65:6 Dan 4:5; Za 22:14; Nah 2:10; Ay 4:15; Isa 7:2; Eze 7:17Uso wa mfalme ukageuka rangi, naye akaogopa sana, kiasi kwamba magoti yake yaligongana na miguu yake ikalegea.
75:7 Isa 44:25; 47:13; Dan 4:6-7; Mwa 41:42; Dan 2:5-6, 48; 6:2-3; Mwa 41:8; Isa 19:3; 44:25; Yer 50:35; Es 10:3Mfalme akawaita wasihiri, wanajimu na waganga waletwe, naye akawaambia hawa wenye hekima wa Babeli, “Yeyote asomaye maandishi haya na kuniambia maana yake atavikwa nguo za zambarau, na kuvikwa mkufu wa dhahabu shingoni mwake, naye atafanywa mtawala wa cheo cha tatu katika ufalme.”
85:8 Dan 2:10, 27; 4:18; Mwa 41:8; 41:8; Kut 8:18Ndipo watu wote wa mfalme wenye hekima wakaingia, lakini hawakuweza kusoma yale maandishi wala kumwambia mfalme maana yake. 95:9 Za 48:5; Isa 21:4Basi Mfalme Belshaza akazidi kujawa na hofu, na uso wake ukageuka rangi zaidi. Wakuu wake wakapigwa na bumbuazi.
105:10 Neh 2:3; Dan 3:9Malkia5:10 Au: Mama yake mfalme. aliposikia sauti za mfalme na wakuu wake, alikuja katika ukumbi wa karamu. Akasema, “Ee mfalme, uishi milele! Usishtuke! Usibadilike rangi kiasi hicho! 115:11 Mwa 41:38; Dan 4:8-9; 1:17; 2:47-48; 2:22; Mwa 41:38; Dan 2:22Yuko mtu katika ufalme wako ambaye ana roho ya miungu mitakatifu ndani yake. Wakati wa baba yako, mtu huyo alionekana kuwa na ufahamu, akili na hekima kama ile ya miungu. Mfalme Nebukadneza baba yako, yaani nasema mfalme baba yako, alimweka kuwa mkuu wa waganga, wasihiri, wanajimu na waaguzi. 125:12 Dan 1:7; 6:3; Hes 12:8; Eze 28:3Mtu huyu Danieli, ambaye mfalme alimwita Belteshaza, alionekana kuwa na akili nyepesi, maarifa na ufahamu, pia uwezo wa kufasiri ndoto, kueleza mafumbo na kutatua matatizo magumu. Mwite Danieli, naye atakuambia maana ya haya maandishi.”
135:13 Es 2:5-6; Dan 6:13Hivyo Danieli akaletwa mbele ya mfalme, naye mfalme akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiwe Danieli, mmoja wa watu wa uhamisho walioletwa na mfalme baba yangu kutoka Yuda? 14Nimesikia kwamba roho ya miungu iko ndani yako, na kwamba una ufahamu, akili na hekima ya pekee. 155:15 Dan 4:18Watu wenye hekima na wasihiri waliletwa mbele yangu ili kusoma maandishi haya na kuniambia maana yake, lakini hawakuweza kunifafanulia. 165:16 Mwa 41:15; 42; Es 5:3; Dan 2:6; Mwa 41:15, 42Basi nimesikia kwamba unaweza kutoa tafsiri na kutatua matatizo magumu. Ikiwa unaweza kusoma maandishi haya na kuniambia maana yake, utavikwa nguo za zambarau na mkufu wa dhahabu shingoni mwako, nawe utafanywa mtawala wa tatu katika ufalme.”
175:17 2Fal 5:16Ndipo Danieli akamjibu mfalme, “Waweza kubaki na zawadi zako mwenyewe na kumpa mtu mwingine zawadi zako. Hata hivyo, nitasoma maandishi kwa mfalme na kumwambia maana yake.
185:18 Yer 27:7; Dan 4:36; Yer 28:14; Dan 2:37-38“Ee mfalme, Mungu Aliye Juu Sana alimpa baba yako Nebukadneza utawala, ukuu, utukufu na fahari. 195:19 Dan 2:12-13; 3:6; Yer 25:9; Dan 4:22Kwa sababu ya nafasi ya juu aliyompa baba yako, kabila zote za watu, mataifa na watu wa kila lugha walimhofu na kumwogopa. Wale ambao mfalme alitaka kuwaua, aliwaua; wale aliotaka kuwaacha hai, aliwaacha hai; wale aliotaka kuwapandisha cheo, aliwapandisha; aliotaka kuwashusha, aliwashusha. 205:20 Dan 4:30; Yer 13:18; Ay 40:12; Eze 31:10-11; Isa 14:12; Yer 43:10; Dan 8:8Lakini moyo wake ulipokuwa na majivuno na kuwa mgumu kwa kiburi, aliondolewa kutoka kwa kiti chake cha ufalme na kuvuliwa utukufu wake. 215:21 Eze 17:24; Kut 9:14-16; Dan 4:16-17Akafukuzwa mbali na wanadamu na kupewa akili ya mnyama, akaishi pamoja na punda-mwitu, akala majani kama ngʼombe, nao mwili wake ukaloweshwa kwa umande wa mbingu, mpaka alipotambua kwamba Mungu Aliye Juu Sana ndiye mtawala juu ya falme za wanadamu na kwamba humtawaza juu yao yeyote amtakaye.
225:22 Kut 10:3; 2Nya 33:23“Lakini wewe mwanawe, ee Belshaza, hukujinyenyekeza, ingawa ulifahamu haya yote. 235:23 Ufu 13:6; Isa 14:13; Hes 2:19; Yer 50:29; Ufu 9:20; Ay 12:10; Mdo 17:28; Yer 44:9; Ay 31:4; Za 115:4-8; Hab 2:19; Isa 13:11; Yer 10:23; 48:26Badala yake, umejiinua dhidi ya Bwana wa mbingu. Uliletewa vikombe vya Hekalu lake, nawe na wakuu wako, wake zako na masuria wako mlivitumia kwa kunywea mvinyo. Ukaisifu miungu ya fedha na dhahabu, ya shaba, chuma, miti na mawe, miungu ambayo haiwezi kuona, au kusikia wala kufahamu. Lakini hukumheshimu Mungu ambaye anaushikilia uhai wako na njia zako zote mkononi mwake. 24Kwa hiyo ameutuma mkono ule ulioandika maneno.
25“Haya ndiyo maneno yaliyoandikwa:
mene, mene, tekeli na peresi
265:26 Yer 27:7; Isa 13:9“Hii ndiyo maana ya maneno haya:
“Mene: Mungu amezihesabu siku za utawala wako na kuukomesha.
275:27 Za 62:9; Yer 6:30; Ay 6:2Tekeli: Wewe umepimwa katika mizani na umeonekana umepungua.
285:28 Isa 13:17; Yer 50:41-43; Dan 6:28; Yer 7:27Peresi: Ufalme wako umegawanywa na kupewa Wamedi na Waajemi.”
295:29 Mwa 41:42; Dan 2:6Ndipo kwa amri ya Belshaza, Danieli akavikwa nguo za zambarau na mkufu wa dhahabu shingoni, tena akatangazwa kuwa mtawala wa tatu katika ufalme.
305:30 Isa 21:9; Yer 51:31; 50:35Usiku ule ule, Belshaza mfalme wa Wakaldayo akauawa, 315:31 Yer 50:41; Dan 11:1; Isa 13:3naye Dario Mmedi akashika ufalme akiwa na miaka sitini na miwili.
