Daniel, 5

1. Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.

1. Le roi Belschatsar donna un grand festin à ses grands au nombre de mille, et il but du vin en leur présence.

2. And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them.

2. Belschatsar, quand il eut goûté au vin, fit apporter les vases d`or et d`argent que son père Nebucadnetsar avait enlevés du temple de Jérusalem, afin que le roi et ses grands, ses femmes et ses concubines, s`en servissent pour boire.

3. Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them.

3. Alors on apporta les vases d`or qui avaient été enlevés du temple, de la maison de Dieu à Jérusalem; et le roi et ses grands, ses femmes et ses concubines, s`en servirent pour boire.

4. They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.

4. Ils burent du vin, et ils louèrent les dieux d`or, d`argent, d`airain, de fer, de bois et de pierre.

5. In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote.

5. En ce moment, apparurent les doigts d`une main d`homme, et ils écrivirent, en face du chandelier, sur la chaux de la muraille du palais royal. Le roi vit cette extrémité de main qui écrivait.

6. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other.

6. Alors le roi changea de couleur, et ses pensées le troublèrent; les jointures de ses reins se relâchèrent, et ses genoux se heurtèrent l`un contre l`autre.

7. And the king cried out loudly for them to bring in the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. And the king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon, saying, “Whoever will read this writing and make known to me its interpretation will be clothed with purple, and will have a golden chain on his neck, and will be third in my kingdom.”

7. Le roi cria avec force qu`on fît venir les astrologues, les Chaldéens et les devins; et le roi prit la parole et dit aux sages de Babylone: Quiconque lira cette écriture et m`en donnera l`explication sera revêtu de pourpre, portera un collier d`or à son cou, et aura la troisième place dans le gouvernement du royaume.

8. Then, in came all the wise men of the king, but they could neither read the writing, nor reveal the interpretation to the king.

8. Tous les sages du roi entrèrent; mais ils ne purent pas lire l`écriture et en donner au roi l`explication.

9. Therefore, king Belshazzar was quite confused, and his face was altered, and even his nobles were disturbed.

9. Sur quoi le roi Belschatsar, fut très effrayé, il changea de couleur, et ses grands furent consternés.

10. But the queen, because of what had happened to the king and his nobles, entered the banquet house. And she spoke out, saying, “O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts confuse you, neither should your face be altered.

10. La reine, à cause des paroles du roi et de ses grands, entra dans la salle du festin, et prit ainsi la parole: O roi, vis éternellement! Que tes pensées ne te troublent pas, et que ton visage ne change pas de couleur!

11. There is a man in your kingdom, who has the spirit of the holy gods within himself, and in the days of your father, knowledge and wisdom were found in him. For king Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him leader of the astrologers, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, even your father, I say to you, O king.

11. Il y a dans ton royaume un homme qui a en lui l`esprit des dieux saints; et du temps de ton père, on trouva chez lui des lumières, de l`intelligence, et une sagesse semblable à la sagesse des dieux. Aussi le roi Nebucadnetsar, ton père, le roi, ton père, l`établit chef des magiciens, des astrologues, des Chaldéens, des devins,

12. For a greater spirit, and foresight, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and the revealing of secrets, and the solution to difficulties were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the interpretation.”

12. parce qu`on trouva chez lui, chez Daniel, nommé par le roi Beltschatsar, un esprit supérieur, de la science et de l`intelligence, la faculté d`interpréter les songes, d`expliquer les énigmes, et de résoudre les questions difficiles. Que Daniel soit donc appelé, et il donnera l`explication.

13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, “Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea?

13. Alors Daniel fut introduit devant le roi. Le roi prit la parole et dit à Daniel: Es-tu ce Daniel, l`un des captifs de Juda, que le roi, mon père, a amenés de Juda?

14. I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you.

14. J`ai appris sur ton compte que tu as en toi l`esprit des dieux, et qu`on trouve chez toi des lumières, de l`intelligence, et une sagesse extraordinaire.

15. And now the wise astrologers have entered into my presence, so as to read this writing and to reveal to me its interpretation. And they were not able to tell me the meaning of this writing.

15. On vient d`amener devant moi les sages et les astrologues, afin qu`ils lussent cette écriture et m`en donnassent l`explication; mais ils n`ont pas pu donner l`explication des mots.

16. Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.”

16. J`ai appris que tu peux donner des explications et résoudre des questions difficiles; maintenant, si tu peux lire cette écriture et m`en donner l`explication, tu seras revêtu de pourpre, tu porteras un collier d`or à ton cou, et tu auras la troisième place dans le gouvernement du royaume.

17. To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, “Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation.

17. Daniel répondit en présence du roi: Garde tes dons, et accorde à un autre tes présents; je lirai néanmoins l`écriture au roi, et je lui en donnerai l`explication.

18. O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and greatness, glory and honor.

18. O roi, le Dieu suprême avait donné à Nebucadnetsar, ton père, l`empire, la grandeur, la gloire et la magnificence;

19. And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled and were afraid of him. Whomever he wished, he put to death; and whomever he wished, he destroyed; and whomever he wished, he exalted; and whomever he wished, he lowered.

19. et à cause de la grandeur qu`il lui avait donnée, tous les peuples, les nations, les hommes de toutes langues étaient dans la crainte et tremblaient devant lui. Le roi faisait mourir ceux qu`il voulait, et il laissait la vie à ceux qu`il voulait; il élevait ceux qu`il voulait, et il abaissait ceux qu`il voulait.

20. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened in arrogance, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and his glory was taken away.

20. Mais lorsque son coeur s`éleva et que son esprit s`endurcit jusqu`à l`arrogance, il fut précipité de son trône royal et dépouillé de sa gloire;

21. And he was expelled from the sons of men, and so his heart was placed with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys, and he ate hay like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he realized that the Most High holds power over the kingdom of men, and that whoever he wishes, he will set over it.

21. il fut chassé du milieu des enfants des hommes, son coeur devint semblable à celui des bêtes, et sa demeure fut avec les ânes sauvages; on lui donna comme aux boeufs de l`herbe à manger, et son corps fut trempé de la rosée du ciel, jusqu`à ce qu`il reconnût que le Dieu suprême domine sur le règne des hommes et qu`il le donne à qui il lui plaît.

22. Likewise, you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things.

22. Et toi, Belschatsar, son fils, tu n`as pas humilié ton coeur, quoique tu susses toutes ces choses.

23. But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.

23. Tu t`es élevé contre le Seigneur des cieux; les vases de sa maison ont été apportés devant toi, et vous vous en êtes servis pour boire du vin, toi et tes grands, tes femmes et tes concubines; tu as loué les dieux d`argent, d`or, d`airain, de fer, de bois et de pierre, qui ne voient point, qui n`entendent point, et qui ne savent rien, et tu n`as pas glorifié le Dieu qui a dans sa main ton souffle et toutes tes voies.

24. Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.

24. C`est pourquoi il a envoyé cette extrémité de main qui a tracé cette écriture.

25. But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.

25. Voici l`écriture qui a été tracée: Compté, compté, pesé, et divisé.

26. And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.

26. Et voici l`explication de ces mots. Compté: Dieu a compté ton règne, et y a mis fin.

27. THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.

27. Pesé: Tu as été pesé dans la balance, et tu as été trouvé léger.

28. PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians.

28. Divisé: Ton royaume sera divisé, et donne aux Mèdes et aux Perses.

29. Then, by the king’s command, Daniel was dressed with purple, and a chain of gold was placed around his neck, and it was proclaimed of him that he held power as the third in the kingdom.

29. Aussitôt Belschatsar donna des ordres, et l`on revêtit Daniel de pourpre, on lui mit au cou un collier d`or, et on publia qu`il aurait la troisième place dans le gouvernement du royaume.

30. That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.

30. Cette même nuit, Belschatsar, roi des Chaldéens, fut tué.

31. And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two years.

31. Et Darius, le Mède, s`empara du royaume, étant âgé de soixante-deux ans.