Daniel 5

5 ¹King Belshazzar make one big feast for 1,000 big-men, e dey drink wine for front of di 1,000. ²As Belshazzar dey taste di wine, e order make dem bring di gold and silver cup wey im papa Nebuchadnezzar carry comot from di temple for Jerusalem, so dat di king, im big-men, im wives, and im concubines go fit drink from dem. ³So dem bring di gold cup wey dem carry comot from di temple, di house of our Papa for Jerusalem; and di king, im big-men, im wives, and im concubines drink from dem. ⁴Dem drink di wine and dem praise di gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵Sharp-sharp, di fingers of one human hand show and dem write for di plaster of di wall of di king palace, for front of di lampstand, and di king dey watch as di hand dey write. ⁶Di king face change colour, im thoughts scatter am with fear, im waist no fit hold am again, and im knees dey knock each other.

⁷Di king shout make dem bring di enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers, and e tell di wise men of Babylon say, “Anybody wey read dis writing and tell me wetin e mean go wear purple cloth, gold chain go dey im neck, and e go rule as number three for di kingdom.” ^a a v7 Belshazzar dey rule together with im papa Nabonidus wey no dey ground, so ‘number three for di kingdom’ na di highest rank wey e fit give person.

⁸So all di king wise men come in, but nobody fit read di writing or tell am wetin e mean. ⁹So King Belshazzar fear pass before, im face come pale more-more, and im big-men dey confused.

¹⁰As di queen hear wetin di king and im big-men talk, she enter di banquet hall, and she talk say, “King, live forever! No make your thoughts scatter you with fear, and no make your face pale. ¹¹One man dey for your kingdom wey get di spirit of di holy gods. For di days of your papa, dis man show insight, understanding, and wisdom like di wisdom of di gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your papa—your papa di king—put am as chief of magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers, ¹²because plenty spirit wey pass ordinary, knowledge, and understanding—to explain dream, to open riddle, to loose knot—dem find all dis for dis Daniel, wey di king name Belteshazzar. So make dem call Daniel now; e go tell you wetin e mean.”

Daniel Read di Judgement of our Papa

¹³So dem bring Daniel come before di king, and di king ask am, “You be Daniel, one of di Judah captives wey my papa di king carry comot from Judah? ¹⁴I don hear say di spirit of di gods dey inside you—light, understanding, and rare wisdom dem find for you. ¹⁵Dem don bring di wise men and enchanters come before me make dem read dis writing and tell me wetin e mean, but dem no fit. ¹⁶I don hear say you fit explain meaning and loose knot. If you read dis writing and tell me wetin e mean, you go wear purple cloth, gold chain go dey your neck, and you go rule as number three for di kingdom.”

¹⁷Daniel answer di king say, “Keep your gifts; give your rewards to another person. Still, I go read di writing for di king and tell am wetin e mean. ¹⁸Your Majesty, di Most High, our Papa, na im give your papa Nebuchadnezzar di kingdom, di greatness, di glory, and di majesty. ¹⁹Because of di greatness wey e give am, all people, all nations, and all languages dey shake and dey fear before am. E kill anybody wey e want, e leave anybody wey e want make e live, e lift up anybody wey e want, and e bring down anybody wey e want. ²⁰But when im heart come proud and im spirit come hard with arrogance, dem comot am from im royal throne and dem take im glory comot. ²¹Dem drive am comot from among people, im mind come be like di mind of animal; e dey live with wild donkey, dem dey feed am grass like ox, and di dew of heaven dey wet am—until e come know say di Most High, our Papa, na im dey rule di kingdom of men and e dey put anybody wey e choose to rule am.

²²But you, Belshazzar im son, you never humble your heart, even as you know all dis thing. ²³Instead, you lift yourself up against di Sovereign of heaven. You make dem bring di cup of im house come before you, and you, your big-men, your wives, and your concubines drink wine from dem. You praise gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods wey no fit see, no fit hear, or know anything. But di One wey hold your breath for im hand, wey own all your ways—our Papa—you never honour am. ²⁴Na why e send di hand wey write dis inscription.

²⁵Na dis be di writing wey dem inscribe: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

²⁶Na dis be wetin e mean: MENE—our Papa don count di days of your kingdom and e don end am.

²⁷TEKEL—dem don weigh you for di scale and dem find say you no reach.

²⁸PERES—dem don divide your kingdom and give am to di Medes and Persians.”

²⁹So Belshazzar give di order, and dem dress Daniel with purple cloth, dem put gold chain for im neck, and dem announce am as di number three ruler for di kingdom.

³⁰For dat same night, dem kill Belshazzar, di king of di Babylonians. ³¹And Darius di Mede receive di kingdom, when e reach about sixty-two years old.