Daniel 5

1. Belshatzar the king made a mishteh gadol (great feast) to a thousand of his nobles, and drank wine before the thousand.

2. Belshatzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his forefather Nevuchadnetzar had taken out of the Beis Hamikdash which was in Yerushalayim, that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

3. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the Beis Hamikdash of the Beis HaElohim which was at Yerushalayim, and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

4. They drank wine, and praised the g-ds of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s yad (hand), and wrote opposite the menorah upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s heikhal, and the king saw the part of the yad that wrote.

6. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his machsh’vot troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosed, and his knees knocked together.

7. The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Kasdim (Chaldeans), and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the chachamim of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this mikhtav (writing), and show me the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the malchut.

8. Then came in all the king’s chachamim, but they could not read the mikhtav (writing), nor make known to the king the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.

9. Then was king Belshatzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his nobles were perplexed.

10. Now the malkah (queen) by reason of the words of the king and his nobles came into the banquet house; and the malkah (queen) spoke and said, O king, live forever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

11. There is a man in thy malchut, in whom is the Ruach Elohin Kadishin (Ruach Elohim HaKadosh) and in the days of thy forefather ohr and seichel and chochmah, like the chochmah of HaElohim, was found in him; the king Nevuchadnetzar thy forefather, the king, I say, thy forefather, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Kasdim (Chaldeans), and soothsayers;

12. Forasmuch as an excellent ruach, and da’as, and seichel, interpreting of chalomot, and solving riddles, and explaining enigmas, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Beltshatzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation).

13. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the Bnei Golus of Yehudah, whom the king my forefather brought out of Yehudah?

14. I have even heard of thee, that the Ruach Elohim is in thee, and that ohr and seichel and excellent chochmah is found in thee.

15. And now the chachamim, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this mikhtav (writing), and give me da’as of the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, but they could not show the pesher (interpretation, explanation) of the thing;

16. And I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and explain enigmas; now if thou canst read the mikhtav (writing), and make known to me the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the malchut.

17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the mikhtav (writing) unto the king, and make known to him the pesher (interpretation, explanation).

18. O thou king, El Elyon gave Nevuchadnetzar thy forefather a malchut, and gedulah (greatness), and kavod (glory), and hadar (majesty);

19. And for the gedulah that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him; whom he would he violently killed; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his ruach hardened in ga’avah (pride), he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his kavod (glory) from him;

21. And he was driven from the bnei haAdam; and his lev 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; till he knew that El Elyon ruled in the malchut haAdam, and that He appointeth over it whomsoever He will.

22. And thou his son, O Belshatzar, hast not humbled thine lev, though thou had da’as of all this;

23. But hast lifted up thyself against Hashem of Shomayim; and they have brought the vessels of His Beis Hamikdash before thee, and thou, and thy nobles, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the g-ds of silver, and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the G-d in Whose hand thy breath is, and Whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

24. Then was the part of the yad sent from Him; and this mikhtav (writing) was written.

25. And this is the mikhtav (writing) that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UFARSIN.

26. This is the pesher (interpretation, explanation) of the thing; MENE; G-d hath numbered thy malchut, and finished with it.

27. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

28. PERES; Thy malchut is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29. Then commanded Belshatzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the malchut.

30. In that night was Belshatzar the king of the Kasdim slain.

31. (6:1) And Daryavesh the Mede took the malchut, being about 62 years old.