5
1 Belshazzar the
king made a
great feast to
a thousand of his
lords, and drank
wine before
the thousand.
2 Belshazzar,
while he tasted the
wine, commanded
that the golden
and silver vessels
which Nebuchadnezzar
his father had
taken out of
the temple which
was in Jerusalem be
brought to him,
that the king
and his lords,
his wives and
his concubines,
might drink
from them.
3 Then
they brought the
golden vessels
that were taken
out of the
temple of God’s
house which was at
Jerusalem; and the
king and his
lords, his wives
and his concubines,
drank from them.
4 They drank
wine, and praised
the gods of gold,
and of silver, of
bronze, of iron, of wood,
and of stone.
5 In
the same hour,
the fingers of
a man’s hand came
out and wrote near
the lamp stand on
the plaster of
the wall of
the king’s palace.
The king saw
the part of
the hand that
wrote.
6 Then
the king’s face
was changed in him,
and his thoughts troubled him;
and the joints
of his thighs were loosened,
and his knees struck one
against another.
7 The
king cried aloud
to bring in
the enchanters, the
Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers. The
king spoke and
said to the
wise men
of Babylon, “Whoever reads this
writing and shows
me its
interpretation shall be
clothed with purple,
and have a
chain of gold
about his neck,
and shall be the
third ruler in
the kingdom.”
8 Then
all the king’s
wise men came
in; but they
could not read
the writing,
and couldn’t make
known to the
king the
interpretation.
9 Then
King Belshazzar
was greatly troubled,
and his face
was changed in
him, and his
lords were
perplexed.
10 The
queen by reason of
the words of
the king and
his lords came
into the banquet
house. The queen
spoke and said, “O
king, live forever;
don’t let your thoughts trouble you,
nor let your face be
changed.
11 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
understanding and
wisdom, like the
wisdom of the gods,
were found in
him. The king,
Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes,
the king,
your father—made
him master of
the magicians, enchanters,
Chaldeans, and
soothsayers,
12 because
an excellent
spirit, knowledge,
understanding, interpreting
of dreams, showing
of dark sentences, and
dissolving of
doubts were found
in the same Daniel,
whom the king
named Belteshazzar.
Now let Daniel
be called, and
he will show the
interpretation.”
13 Then
Daniel was brought
in before the
king. The king
spoke and said
to Daniel, “Are
you that Daniel
of the children
of the captivity
of Judah, whom
the king my father
brought out of
Judah?
14 I
have heard of
you, that the
spirit of the gods
is in you
and that light,
understanding, and
excellent wisdom
are found in
you.
15 Now
the wise men,
the enchanters, have been
brought in before
me, that
they should read
this writing, and
make known to
me its
interpretation; but
they could not show
the interpretation
of the thing.
16 But
I have heard
of you, that
you can give
interpretations and
dissolve doubts.
Now if you
can read the
writing and make
known to me
its interpretation,
you shall be
clothed with purple,
and have a
chain of gold
around your neck,
and shall be
the third ruler
in the kingdom.”
17 Then
Daniel answered
before the king,
“Let your gifts be
to yourself, and
give your rewards
to another. Nevertheless, I
will read the
writing to the
king, and make
known to him
the interpretation.
18 “To you,
king, the Most
High God gave
Nebuchadnezzar your father
the kingdom, and
greatness, and
glory, and majesty.
19 Because
of the greatness
that he gave
him, all the
peoples, nations, and
languages trembled
and feared before
him. He killed
whom he wanted to,
and he kept
alive whom
he wanted to.
He raised up whom
he wanted to, and
he put down whom
he wanted to.
20 But
when his heart
was lifted up,
and his spirit
was hardened so
that he dealt proudly,
he was deposed
from his kingly
throne, and they
took his glory
from him.
21 He
was driven from
the sons of
men, and his
heart was made
like the animals’,
and his dwelling
was with the
wild donkeys. He
was fed with
grass like oxen,
and his body
was wet with
the dew of
the sky, until
he knew that
the Most High God
rules in the
kingdom of men,
and that he
sets up over
it whomever he
will.
22 “You,
his son,
Belshazzar, have
not humbled your
heart, though you
knew all this,
23 but
have lifted up
yourself against
the Lord of
heaven; and they
have brought the
vessels of his
house before you,
and you and
your lords, your
wives, and your
concubines, have
drunk wine from
them. You have
praised the gods
of silver and
gold, of bronze,
iron, wood, and stone,
which don’t see,
or hear, or
know; and you
have not glorified
the God in whose
hand your breath
is, and whose
are all your ways.
24 Then
the part of
the hand was
sent from before
him, and this
writing was inscribed.
25 “This
is the writing
that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL,
UPHARSIN.’
26 “This
is the
interpretation of
the thing:
MENE: God has counted
your kingdom,
and brought it to
an end.
27 TEKEL: you
are weighed in the
balances, and are
found wanting.
28 PERES:
your kingdom is
divided, and given
to the Medes
and Persians.”
29 Then
Belshazzar commanded, and
they clothed
Daniel with purple,
and put a chain
of gold about
his neck, and made
proclamation concerning
him, that he should
be the third
ruler in the
kingdom.
30 In
that night
Belshazzar the
Chaldean King was
slain.
31 Darius the Mede received the
kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.