Daniel - Chapter 5

1. King Belshazzar made a great feast for his one thousand dignitaries, and he drank as much wine as the thousand.

2. Belshazzar said, with the counsel of the wine, to bring the golden and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple that was in Jerusalem, that the king, his dignitaries, his queen, and his concubines should drink from them.

3. Then the golden vessels that they had taken out of the Temple of the House of God, which was in Jerusalem, were brought, and the king, his dignitaries, his queen, and his concubines drank from them.

4. They drank wine and praised gods of gold, silver, copper, iron, wood, and stone.

5. At that time, the fingers of a human hand emerged and wrote opposite the candelabrum on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing.

6. Then the king-his color changed, and his thoughts frightened him, the belts of his loins became untied, and his knees knocked one against the other.

7. The king cried aloud to bring in the necromancers, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king shouted and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who shall read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall wear purple and [have] a golden chain on his neck and rule over a third of the kingdom."

8. Then all the king's wise men entered, but they could not read the writing or let the king know its interpretation.

9. Then King Belshazzar became very frightened, and his color changed, and his dignitaries were perplexed.

10. The queen, in response to the words of the king and his dignitaries, entered the banquet hall; the queen raised her voice and said, "May the king live forever! Let your thoughts not frighten you, and let your color not change.

11. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of holy angels, and in your father's time enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the angels was found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him prince of the necromancers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the demonologists; [so did] your father the king.

12. All because a superior spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, tell riddles, and untie knots was found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar; now let Daniel be summoned and he will tell the interpretation."

13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king raised his voice and said to Daniel, "You are Daniel, who is of the exiles of Judea, whom my father brought from Judea.

14. And I heard about you that the spirit of the angels is in you, and enlightenment, understanding, and superior wisdom is found in you.

15. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they may read this writing and let me know its interpretation, but they cannot interpret the matter to tell [it].

16. And I have heard about you that you can interpret interpretations and untie knots. Now if you can read the writing and let me know its interpretation, you shall wear purple and [have] a golden chain on your neck, and [over] a third of the kingdom you shall rule."

17. Then Daniel raised his voice and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your lavish gifts to someone else, but I shall read the writing for the king, and I shall let him know the interpretation.

18. You are the king [because] the Most High God gave your father, Nebuchadnezzar, kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory.

19. And through the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and tongues were quaking, and they feared him; whomever he wished he would slay, and whomever he wished he would let live; whomever he wished he would exalt, and whomever he wished he would humble.

20. And when his heart became haughty and his spirit was toughened so that he dealt wickedly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and the honor was removed from him.

21. And he was banished from mankind, and his heart was just like that of the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. They fed him grass like the cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the heavens, until he realized that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of man, and whomever He wishes He sets up on it.

22. But you, his son, Belshazzar, you did not humble your heart in view of the fact that you know all this.

23. But over the Lord of heaven you exalted yourself, and the vessels of His House they brought before you, and you, your dignitaries, your queen, and your concubines drank wine in them, and you praised gods of silver and gold, copper, iron, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor know, but the God in Whose hand is your soul and all your ways-He you did not glorify.

24. Then from before Him the palm of a hand was sent forth, and it inscribed this writing.

25. And this is the writing that it inscribed: MENE MENE TEKEIL UFARSIN.

26. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE-God has counted your kingdom and has brought it to an end.

27. TEKEIL-You were weighed on the scales and found wanting.

28. UFARSIN-Your kingdom has been broken up and given to Media and Persia."

29. Then Belshazzar ordered, and they attired Daniel with purple and the golden chain on his neck, and they announced about him that he should rule over a third of the kingdom.

30. On that very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was assassinated.