King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords
and drank wine in front of the thousand.
Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels
of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out
of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords,
his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they
brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the
temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords,
his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and
praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the
plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand.
And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king's color
changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his
knees knocked together. The king called loudly to bring in the
enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared
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 around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the
kingdom.” Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not
read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. Then
King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his
lords were perplexed.
The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came
into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live
forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.
There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy
gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and
wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King
Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of
the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an
excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams,
explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom
the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will
show the interpretation.”
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and
said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah,
whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you
that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and
understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise
men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this
writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not
show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you
can give interpretations and solve problems. 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.”
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be
for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I
will read the writing to the king and make known to him the
interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your
father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of
the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages
trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom
he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he
would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit
was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his
kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from
among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a
beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass
like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he
knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets
over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled
your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up
yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house
have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your
wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have
praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and
stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand
is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was
inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE,
TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE,
God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and
Persians.”
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with
purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation
was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the
kingdom.
That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And
Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years
old.
