The basic meaning of the Aramaic word peres (plural form parsin) is “division,” “split,” “partition,” or “separation.” It seems in the context of DAN 5:25–DAN 5:28 to indicate either half a mina or half a shekel. However, this meaning is of little significance in the narrative and does not need to be reflected either in the translation or in a note. The first sentence of CEV for these verses is a good model: “The words written there are mne’, which means ‘numbered,’ teqel, which means ‘weighed,’ and parsin, which means ‘divided.’ ” To this CEV adds the following footnote: “In the Aramaic text of verse 25, the words ‘mene, tekel, parsin,’ are used, and in verses 26–28 the words ‘mene, tekel, peres’ (the singular of ‘parsin’) are used. ‘Parsin’ means ‘divided,’ but ‘peres’ can mean either ‘divided’ or ‘Persia.’ ”