Daniel 5

Baltasar the king made a great banquet for his companions, and he drank wine. Baltasar the king made a great dinner for his thousand nobles, and the wine was before the thousand, and he was drinking.

And his heart was lifted up, and he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from Jerusalem, and to pour wine in them for his companions. Baltasar, while tasting the wine, gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had carried out of the temple in Jerusalem, and let the king and his nobles and his concubines and his consorts drink from them.

And it was brought, and they drank from them. And the gold and silver vessels which he had carried out of the temple of God in Jerusalem were brought, and the king and his nobles and his concubines and his consorts drank from them.

And they blessed their hand-made idols, but they did not bless the everlasting God who holds the authority over their spirit. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone.

In that very hour fingers came forth as of a man's hand and wrote on the wall of his house, upon the plaster, opposite the light, before King Baltasar, and he saw the hand that was writing. In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand came forth and were writing opposite the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king's house, and the king was watching the knuckles of the hand that was writing.

And his appearance was altered, and fears and misgivings pressed hard upon him. So the king hurried and rose up and looked at that writing, while his companions around him kept boasting. Then the king's countenance was altered, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosened, and his knees knocked together.

And the king called out with a loud voice to summon the enchanters and sorcerers and Chaldeans and diviners to declare the interpretation of the writing. And they came in to view and see the writing, but they could not interpret the meaning of the writing for the king. Then the king issued a decree, saying: Every man who shall show the interpretation of the writing — he shall be clothed in purple and a golden collar shall be put about him, and authority over the third part of the kingdom shall be given him. And the king cried out with strength to bring in the magi, Chaldeans and diviners, and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whoever reads this writing and makes its interpretation known to me shall be clothed in purple, and the golden collar shall be on his neck, and he shall rule as third in my kingdom.

And the enchanters and sorcerers and diviners came in, but no one was able to declare the interpretation of the writing. And all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing nor make the interpretation known to the king.

Then the king called the queen concerning the sign and showed her how great it was, and that no man was able to declare to the king the interpretation of the writing. And King Baltasar was greatly troubled, and his countenance was altered upon him, and his nobles were in confusion.

Then the queen made mention to him of Daniel, who was of the captivity of Judea. And the queen entered the banqueting house and said: O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not let your countenance be altered.

And she said to the king: The man was knowledgeable and wise and surpassed all the wise men of Babylon. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of God, and in the days of your father wakefulness and understanding were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the enchanters, magi, Chaldeans and diviners.

And a holy spirit is in him, and in the days of your father the king he showed exceedingly weighty interpretations to Nebuchadnezzar your father. For an extraordinary spirit is in him, and prudence and understanding, interpreting dreams and declaring things held fast and loosing knots — Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Baltasar. Now therefore let him be called, and he will declare to you its interpretation.

Then Daniel was brought in to the king, and the king answered and said to him: Then Daniel was brought in before the king, and the king said to Daniel: Are you that Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judea, which the king my father brought?

I have heard concerning you that a spirit of God is in you, and that wakefulness and understanding and extraordinary wisdom were found in you.

And now the wise men, the magi, the gazarenes have come in before me, that they might read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, and they have not been able to declare it to me.

O Daniel, are you able to show me the interpretation of the writing? Then I will clothe you in purple and put a golden collar upon you, and you shall have authority over a third part of my kingdom. And I myself have heard about you, that you are able to interpret judgments. Now therefore, if you are able to read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, you shall be clothed in purple, and the golden collar shall be upon your neck, and you shall rule as third in my kingdom.

Then Daniel stood facing the writing and read it, and thus he answered the king: This is the writing — It has been numbered, it has been reckoned, it has been taken away — and the hand that wrote it stopped; and this is their interpretation. Then Daniel answered and said before the king: Let your gifts be your own, and give the present of your house to another; but I will read the writing to the king and make its interpretation known to you.

O king, the Most High God gave the kingdom and the majesty and the honour and the glory to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

And because of the majesty which he gave him, all the peoples, tribes and tongues were trembling and fearing before his face. Whom he willed he himself slew, and whom he willed he himself struck, and whom he willed he himself exalted, and whom he willed he himself humbled.

But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was strengthened to act arrogantly, he was brought down from the throne of his kingdom, and the honour was taken away from him.

And he was driven out from among men, and his heart was given over with the beasts, and his dwelling was with wild asses, and they fed him grass like an ox, and his body was drenched by the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he pleases.

And you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled your heart before him, although you knew all these things.

O king, you made a banquet for your friends and you drank wine, and the vessels of the house of the living God were brought to you, and you drank from them, you and your nobles, and you praised all the idols made by the hands of men, and you did not bless the living God; yet your breath is in his hand, and he himself gave you your kingdom, and you did not bless him nor praise him. And you exalted yourself against the Lord God of heaven, and they brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your nobles and your concubines and your bedfellows drank wine from them; and you praised the gods of gold and of silver and of bronze and of iron and of wood and of stone, which neither see nor hear nor know; and the God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways, him you did not glorify.

Therefore from before him the knucklebone of a hand was sent, and it inscribed this writing.

And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mane, Thekel, Phares.

This is the interpretation of the writing: It has been numbered — your time of the kingdom is coming to an end; your kingdom has been cut short and brought to completion, and your kingdom is given to the Medes and the Persians. This is the interpretation of the word: Mane — God has measured your kingdom and has brought it to its full.

Thekel — it was set in the balance and was found wanting.

Phares — your kingdom has been divided and given to Medes and Persians.

Then Belshazzar the king clothed Daniel in purple and put a golden collar upon him and gave him authority over a third part of his kingdom. And Belshazzar gave the word, and they clothed Daniel in purple and put the golden collar around his neck, and he made proclamation concerning him that he was third ruler in the kingdom.

And the interpretation came upon Belshazzar the king, and the kingdom was taken away from the Chaldeans and given to the Medes and the Persians. In that same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.