﻿Daniel.
Chapter 5.
King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine before the thousand. 
As he tasted the wine, Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought in, so that the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them. 
Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 
They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 
At that very moment, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. The king saw the hand as it wrote. 
Then the king turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. The joints of his hips went slack, and his knees knocked together. 
The king cried out loudly for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought in. He said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around his neck, and will rule as third in the kingdom.” 
Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king its interpretation. 
King Belshazzar became greatly alarmed and turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered. 
The queen, hearing the words of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. She said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face grow pale. 
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In your father’s days, light, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners—your father, the king. 
For an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding were found in Daniel, along with the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and unravel difficulties. The king named him Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will tell the interpretation.” 
Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah whom my father the king brought from Judah? 
I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light, understanding, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you. 
Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they could not explain its meaning. 
But I have heard that you can give interpretations and unravel difficulties. Now, if you can read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around your neck, and will rule as third in the kingdom.” 
Then Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and tell him its interpretation. 
O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. 
Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whomever he wished and kept alive whomever he wished; he exalted whomever he wished and humbled whomever he wished. 
But when his heart grew proud and his spirit hardened in arrogance, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away. 
He was driven away from people, and his mind was made like that of the beasts. He lived with the wild donkeys and was fed grass like oxen. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he knew that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind and appoints over it whomever he wishes. 
But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. 
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels of his house were brought before you, and you, your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know. But you have not honored the God in whose hand is your breath and to whom all your ways belong. 
So the hand was sent from his presence, and this writing was inscribed. 
This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.’ 
This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene—God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end. 
Tekel—you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. 
Peres—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 
Then Belshazzar gave the order, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and a proclamation was made that he would rule as third in the kingdom. 
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed. 
And Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old. 
