1 Kongen Belsasar holdt en stor fest for tusen av sine stormenn og drakk vin foran dem.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.

2 Mens Belsasar var beruset av vinen, befalte han at de skulle hente de gull- og sølvkarene som Nebukadnesar, hans far, hadde tatt fra tempelet i Jerusalem, slik at kongen og hans stormenn, hans hustruer og medhustruer kunne drikke av dem.

Belshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.

3 Så hentet de gull- og sølvkarene som hadde vært i Guds hus i Jerusalem, og kongen og hans stormenn, hans hustruer og medhustruer drakk vin av dem.

Then they took in the gold and silver vessels which had been in the Temple of the house of God at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, took wine from them.

4 De drakk vin og priste guder av gull og sølv, bronse, jern, tre og stein.

They took their wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, of brass and iron and wood and stone.

5 I samme time viste det seg fingre fra en menneskehånd som skrev på den hvite veggen i kongens palass, rett ved lysestaken, og kongen så hånden som skrev.

In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand were seen, writing opposite the support for the light on the white wall of the king's house, and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.

6 Da mistet kongen fargen i ansiktet, og han ble urolig av tankene sine; kraften forlot kroppen hans, og knærne hans skalv.

Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.

7 Med høy røst kalte kongen inn tryllekunstnerne, kaldeerne og tegntyderne. Kongen erklærte at den som kunne tyde denne skriften og forklare betydningen, skulle bli ikledd purpur, få en gullkjede om halsen og bli en av de tre mektigste i riket.

The king, crying out with a loud voice, said that the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs, were to be sent for. The king made answer and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever is able to make out this writing, and make clear to me the sense of it, will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold round his neck, and will be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

8 Alle kongens vise menn kom inn, men de klarte ikke å tyde skriften eller forklare betydningen for kongen.

Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.

9 Da ble kong Belsasar svært urolig, fargen forsvant fra ansiktet hans, og stormennene hans visste ikke hva de skulle gjøre.

Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.

10 På grunn av kongens og stormennenes ord kom dronningen inn i festsalen. Dronningen sa: «Konge, måtte du leve for alltid! Ikke la tankene dine uroe deg eller ta fra deg fargen!»

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the house of the feast: the queen made answer and said, O King, have life for ever; do not be troubled by your thoughts or let the colour go from your face:

11 «Det finnes en mann i riket ditt som har de hellige gudenes ånd i seg, og i din fars dager ble lys og forstand som gudenes visdom funnet i ham. Kong Nebukadnesar, din far, utnevnte ham til sjef for de kloke, tryllekunstnerne, kaldeerne og tegntyderne.»

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;

12 «Fordi en utmerket ånd, kunnskap, forstand og evnen til å tyde drømmer, forklare gåter og løse vanskelige problemer ble funnet i ham, nemlig Daniel, som kongen kalte Beltesasar. La nå Daniel bli kalt inn, så vil han forklare betydningen.»

Because a most special spirit, and knowledge and reason and the power of reading dreams and unfolding dark sayings and answering hard questions, were seen to be in him, even in Daniel (named Belteshazzar by the king): now let Daniel be sent for, and he will make clear the sense of the writing.

13 Så førte de Daniel inn for kongen, og kongen sa til Daniel: «Er du den Daniel, en av de bortførte fra Juda, som min far førte hit fra Juda?»

Then they took Daniel in before the king; the king made answer and said to Daniel, So you are that Daniel, of the prisoners of Judah, whom my father took out of Judah.

14 «Jeg har hørt om deg, at de hellige gudenes ånd er i deg, og at lys, forstand og enestående visdom finnes i deg.»

And I have had news of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and reason and special wisdom have been seen in you.

15 «Nå har vismennene og tryllekunstnerne blitt ført inn for meg for å tyde skriften og gjøre meg kjent med betydningen, men de er ikke i stand til å forklare det.»

And now the wise men, the users of secret arts, have been sent in before me for the purpose of reading this writing and making clear to me the sense of it: but they are not able to make clear the sense of the thing:

16 «Men jeg har hørt om deg, at du kan gi tolkninger og løse vanskelige problemer. Hvis du nå kan lese skriften og gjøre meg kjent med betydningen, skal du bli kledd i purpur, få en gullkjede om halsen og bli en av de tre mektigste i riket.»

And I have had news of you, that you have the power of making things clear, and of answering hard questions: now if you are able to make out the writing and give me the sense of it, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain round your neck and be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

17 Da svarte Daniel kongen: «Behold dine gaver selv, og gi din belønning til en annen. Likevel vil jeg lese skriften for kongen og forklare betydningen.»

Then Daniel made answer and said to the king, Keep your offerings for yourself, and give your rewards to another; but I, after reading the writing to the king, will give him the sense of it.

18 «Konge, Den Høyeste Gud ga Nebukadnesar, din far, riket og stor makt, herlighet og ære.»

As for you, O King, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the kingdom and great power and glory and honour:

19 «På grunn av den store makten han ga ham, fryktet folk fra alle folk, nasjoner og språk for ham. Noen drepte han, mens han lot andre leve, han opphøyde noen og ydmyket andre slik han ville.»

And because of the great power he gave him, all peoples and nations and languages were shaking in fear before him: some he put to death and others he kept living, at his pleasure, lifting up some and putting others down as it pleased him.

20 «Men da hjertet hans ble opphøyet og hans ånd stivnet i stolthet, ble han avsatt fra kongerikets trone, og hans herlighet ble tatt fra ham.»

But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hard with pride, he was put down from his place as king, and they took his glory from him:

21 «Han ble drevet bort fra menneskene, og hans hjerte ble som dyrets, han bodde blant ville esler, spiste gress som oksene og kroppen hans var fuktig med himmelens dugg, til han erkjente at Den Høyeste Gud hersker over menneskers riker og kan gi dem til hvem han vil.»

And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.

22 «Men du, hans sønn Belsasar, har ikke ydmyket ditt hjerte, enda du vet alt dette.»

And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this;

23 «I stedet har du løftet deg selv opp mot himmelens Herre, og karene fra hans hus har de brakt fram for deg, og du og dine stormenn, hustruer og medhustruer har drukket vin av dem, mens dere har priset guder av sølv og gull, bronse, jern, tre og stein, som verken ser eller hører eller vet. Men Gud, i hvis hånd ditt liv er, og som styrer alle dine veier, har du ikke æret.»

But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;

24 «Derfor ble hånden sendt fra ham, og denne skriften ble skrevet.»

Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.

25 «Dette er skriften som ble skrevet: Mene, tekel, peres.»

And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres.

26 «Dette er betydningen av ordene: Mene – Gud har telt ditt rike og gjort ende på det.»

This is the sense of the words: Mene; your kingdom has been numbered by God and ended.

27 «Tekel – Du er veid på vekten og funnet for lett.»

Tekel; you have been put in the scales and seen to be under weight.

28 «Peres – Ditt rike er delt og gitt til mederne og perserne.»

Peres; your kingdom has been cut up and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 Så befalte Belsasar at de skulle kle Daniel i purpur, sette en gullkjede om halsen hans, og erklære at han skulle være en av de tre mektigste i riket.

Then, by the order of Belshazzar, they put a purple robe on Daniel, and a gold chain round his neck, and a public statement was made that he was to be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

30 Samme natt ble Belsasar, kongen av kaldeerne, drept.

That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldaeans, was put to death.