The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Portions 05
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 ofthe wall ofthe 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.
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. In the
days of your father, light, understanding,
and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods
were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar,
your father—yes, the king, your
father—madehimmaster ofthemagicians,
enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers
12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, u
nderstanding, 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 to 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 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, gold,
bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t
see, hear, or know; and you have not
glorified the God in whose hand is your breath
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 proclaimed that he should be the third highest
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.