1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, whiles 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 therein. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in 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 the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in 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 was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10 ¶ Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say , thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. 13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 15 And now the wise men , the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 ¶ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is , and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 ¶ And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 ¶ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Bēlšacara dzīres
1 Ķēniņš Bēlšacars rīkoja lielas dzīres saviem tūkstoš augstmaņiem un dzēra kopā ar tiem vīnu. 2 Vīna skurbulī Bēlšacars pavēlēja atnest zelta un sudraba traukus, kurus viņa tēvs Nebūkadnecars bija atvedis no Jeruzālemes tempļa, lai ķēniņš, augstmaņi, viņa sievas un blakussievas dzertu no tiem. 3 No Dieva tempļa Jeruzālemē paņemtie zelta trauki tika atnesti, un ķēniņš ar saviem augstmaņiem, sievām un blakussievām dzēra no tiem vīnu. 4 Viņi dzēra vīnu, slavēdami zelta, sudraba, vara, dzelzs, koka un akmens dievus.
Raksts uz sienas
5 Te pēkšņi parādījās it kā cilvēka rokas pirksti, kas rakstīja uz ķēniņa pils mūra apmetuma iepretī sveču lukturim! Ķēniņš redzēja, kā roka raksta! 6 Ķēniņš nobālēja, to pārņēma šausmas, kājas kļuva ļenganas un ceļi trīcēja. 7 Ķēniņš brēca skaļā balsī, lai atved burvjus, zintniekus un zvaigžņu tulkus. Ķēniņš sacīja Bābeles gudrajiem: “Kurš šo rakstu izlasīs un izskaidros tā nozīmi, to ietērps purpurā un liks tam ap kaklu zelta ķēdi, un tas būs trešais vīrs valsts valdībā!”
8 Nāca visi ķēniņa gudrie, bet nespēja ķēniņam rakstīto ne izlasīt, ne izskaidrot. 9 Tad ķēniņš Bēlšacars izbijās vēl vairāk un kļuva vēl bālāks, un viņa augstmaņi bija galīgi apmulsuši.
10 Izdzirdusi ķēniņa un augstmaņu balsis, dzīru namā ienāca ķēniņiene, viņa māte. Ķēniņiene sacīja: “Ķēniņš lai dzīvo mūžīgi! Neesi tik satraukts, bāls! 11 Te, tavā valstī, ir kāds vīrs, kurā mājo svēto dievu gars. Jau tava tēva laikā viņā mājoja gaišs prāts, izpratne un gudrība kā dieviem, tādēļ tavs tēvs ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars viņu iecēla par priekšstāvi burvjiem, pareģiem, zintniekiem un zvaigžņu tulkiem. 12 Izcils gars, zināšanas, izpratne, sapņu tulkošana, noslēpumu atminēšana un samezglojumu atrisināšana piemita viņam – Daniēlam, ko ķēniņš nosauca par Bēltšacaru. Pasauc Daniēlu, un viņš tev izskaidros!”
Daniēls izskaidro uzrakstu uz sienas
13 Daniēlu ieveda pie ķēniņa. Ķēniņš viņam sacīja: “Vai tu esi Daniēls, viens no tiem jūdiem, kurus mans tēvs atveda gūstā no Jūdas? 14 Esmu dzirdējis, ka tevī mīt svēto dievu gars, gaišs prāts, izpratne un izcila gudrība. 15 Pie manis tika atvesti gudrie un pareģi, lai izlasītu šo uzrakstu un man izskaidrotu, bet tie nespēja to izskaidrot. 16 Esmu dzirdējis, ka tu vari to izskaidrot un atrisināt samezglojumus – ja tu spēsi izlasīt un man izskaidrot uzrakstu, tad tevi ietērps purpurā un liks ap kaklu zelta ķēdi, un tu būsi trešais vīrs valsts valdībā!”
17 Daniēls atbildēja ķēniņam: “Lai dāvanas paliek pie tevis un atlīdzība tiek citam! Taču es izlasīšu un izskaidrošu ķēniņam šo uzrakstu. 18 Ak, ķēniņ, visaugstais Dievs deva tavam tēvam Nebūkadnecaram valsti, varenību, slavu un godu, 19 un šīs viņa dotās varenības dēļ visi ļaudis, ciltis un tautas, drebēdami bijās no viņa! Viņš kāva, ko gribēja, un atstāja dzīvu, ko gribēja, viņš paaugstināja, ko gribēja, un gāza, ko gribēja. 20 Bet tad viņa prāts kļuva iedomīgs, viņa gars kļuva augstprātīgs un lepns – tādēļ viņu nogrūda no troņa, atņēma viņam valsti un slavu. 21 Viņu padzina no cilvēku vidus, un prāts viņam kļuva kā dzīvniekam, viņš mita pie meža zvēriem un ēda zāli kā vērsis, debesu rasa to slacīja, līdz viņš atzina, ka Visuaugstais valda pār cilvēku valstīm, viņš tās dod, kam grib! 22 Bet tu, viņa dēls Bēlšacar, neturēji pazemīgu prātu, kaut arī visu zināji! 23 Tu sacēlies pret debesu Kungu, un tev tika atnesti trauki no viņa nama, un tu, tavi augstmaņi, tavas sievas un blakussievas dzērāt vīnu no tiem un slavējāt sudraba, zelta, vara, dzelzs, koka un akmens dievus, kas neredz, nedzird, kam nav saprašanas, bet Dievu, kura rokā ir tava dvaša un visas tavas gaitas, tu negodāji! 24 Tādēļ viņš sūtīja roku, kas rakstīja šo uzrakstu.
25 Redzi, ko nozīmē uzraksts: “Skaitīt skaitīja, svēra un dalīja.” 26 Un tas nozīmē: skaitīt – Dievs ir skaitījis tavu valsti un vedis to pie gala! 27 Svērt – tu esi svērts svaru kausā un esi izrādījies par vieglu! 28 Sadalīt – tava valsts ir sadalīta un atdota mēdiešiem un persiešiem.”
29 Tad Bēlšacars pavēlēja ietērpt Daniēlu purpurā, likt zelta ķēdi viņam ap kaklu un izsludināt viņu par trešo valsts valdībā. 30 Bet tajā pašā naktī kaldiešu ķēniņš Bēlšacars tika nokauts.
