Daniel 5:11-31 ▼

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—as the wisdom of the gods—was found in him; and your father King Nebuchadnezzar, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him—your father, O king—

12 because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he shows.”

13 Then Daniel has been caused to come up before the king; the king has answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel who [is] of the sons of the expulsion of Judah, whom my father the king brought in out of Judah?

14 And I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods [is] in you, and light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in you.

15 And now, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that they may read this writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to show the interpretation of the thing:

16 and I have heard of you, that you are able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, behold—you are able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know—purple you put on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on your neck, and you rule third in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel has answered and said before the king, “Your gifts be to yourself, and give your fee to another; nevertheless, the writing I read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know;

18 you, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor, gave to your father Nebuchadnezzar:

19 and because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low;

20 and when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he has been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away from him,

21 and he is driven from the sons of men, and his heart has been like with the beasts, and with the wild donkeys [is] his dwelling; they cause him to eat the herb like oxen, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, until he has known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He wills He raises up over it.

22 And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though all this you have known;

23 and against the Lord of the heavens you have lifted up yourself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before you, and you, and your great men, your wives, and your concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, you have praised: and the God in whose hand [is] your breath, and all your ways, Him you have not honored.

24 Then from before Him is the extremity of the hand sent, and the writing is noted down;

25 and this [is] the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.

26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: Numbered—God has numbered your kingdom, and has finished it.

27 Weighed—You are weighed in the balances, and have been found lacking.

28 Divided—Your kingdom is divided, and it has been given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar has spoken, and they have clothed Daniel with purple, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,

31 and Darius the Mede has received the kingdom when a son of sixty-two years.