The Prophet Daniel

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- Kapitel 5 -

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his noblemen, and he drank wine in front of all one thousand of them.

While Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the containers made of gold or silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, from which he, his noblemen, and his wives and concubines could drink.

The servants brought the gold containers that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God, in Jerusalem. The king, his noblemen, and his wives and concubines drank from them.

They drank the wine and praised their idols made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared in front of the lampstand and wrote on the plaster wall in the king’s palace. The king could see part of the hand as it wrote.

Then the king’s face changed and his thoughts frightened him; his limbs could not support him, and his knees were knocking together.

The king shouted a command to bring in those who claimed to speak with the dead, wise men, and astrologers. The king said to those known for their wisdom in Babylon, “Whoever explains this writing and its meaning will be clothed with purple and will have a gold chain around his neck. He will have the authority of the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

Then all the king’s men who were known for their wisdom came in, but they could not read the writing or explain its meaning to the king.

Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed and the look on his face changed. His noblemen were perplexed.

Now the queen came into the banquet house because of what the king and his nobles had said. The queen said, “King, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you. Do not let the look on your face change.

There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, made him chief of the magicians, as well as chief of those who speak with the dead, of the wise men, and of the astrologers.

An excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, explaining riddles and solving problems-these qualities were found in this man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now call for Daniel and he will tell you the meaning of what has been written.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “You are that Daniel, one of the people of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought out of Judah.

I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

Now the men known for wisdom and those who claim to speak with the dead have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not make known the interpretation of it.

I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and tell me its meaning, you will be clothed with purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will have the authority of the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another person. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to you, king, and will tell you the meaning.

As for you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.

Because of the greatness God gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared him. He put to death those he wanted to die, and he kept alive those he wished to live. He raised up those he wanted, and he humbled those he wished.

But when his heart was arrogant and his spirit was hardened so that he acted presumptuously, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and they took away his majesty.

He was driven away from humanity, he had the mind of an animal, and he lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew from the heavens until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of people and that he sets over them anyone he wishes.

You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

You have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. From his house they brought you the containers that you, your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from, and you praised the idols made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone-idols that do not see, hear, or know anything. You have not honored the God who holds your breath in his hand and who knows all your ways.

Then God sent out a hand from his presence and this writing was done.

This is the writing that was done: ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Pharsin.’

This is its meaning: ‘Mene,’ ‘God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.’

‘Tekel,’ ‘you are weighed in the scales and are found lacking.’

‘Peres,’ ‘your kingdom is divided and is given to the Medes and Persians.’”

Then Belshazzar gave a command, and they clothed Daniel with purple. A chain of gold was put around his neck, and the king made a proclamation about him that he would have the authority of the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

That night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed,

and Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

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.

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.

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

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.

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,

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.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

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?

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.

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.

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.”

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.

“To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.

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.

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.

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.

“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

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.

Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’

“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.

TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

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.

In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.