Daniel 5:1-16 ▼

1 BELSHAZZAR the king made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 And Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines might drink out of them.

3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God which was at Jerusalem, and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines drank out of them.

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

5 In that very hour there appeared the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the palm of the man's hand that wrote.

6 Then the king's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him and the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees struck one against another.

7 Then the king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, the soothsayers, and the wise men. And the king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule over a third of the kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and his countenance changed and his princes were bewildered.

10 Now the queen, because of the conversation of the king and his princes, came into the banquet house, and she spoke and said to the king, O king, live for ever; let not your thoughts trouble you nor let your countenance be changed;

11 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; so that King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him master of the magicians, astrologers, soothsayers, and the Chaldeans

12 Because of his spiritual power, knowledge, and understanding which he possesses, to interpret the dreams, devise proverbs, and solve riddles, even Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

13 Then Daniel came in before the king. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you the Daniel of the exiles of Judah whom the king my father brought from Judea?

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

15 And now the magicians and the astrologers have been brought in before me, that they might read this writing and make known to me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show me the interpretation of the thing;

16 And I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations and solve riddles. Now if you can read this writing and make known to me the interpretation thereof, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall rule over a third of the kingdom.