< Daniel 5 >
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from there.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God 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 brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand came forth, and wrote opposite the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace. And the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him. And the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote 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 shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation of it, 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, nor make known to the king the interpretation.
9 Then king Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
10 Now the queen came into the banquet house because of the words of the king and his lords. The queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
12 inasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and 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 thou that Daniel, who are of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
16 But I have heard of thee, that thou can give interpretations, and dissolve doubts. Now if thou can read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another. Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom and greatness and glory and majesty.
19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he wanted, he killed, and whom he wanted, he kept alive, and whom he wanted, he raised up, and whom he wanted, he put down.
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 and he was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, 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 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled thy heart, though thou knew all this,
23 but have lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them. And thou have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, thou have not glorified.
24 Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end.
27 TEKEL, thou are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
28 PERES, thy 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 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
