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.
Belshazzar's Banquet
1 One night King Belshazzar invited a thousand noblemen to a great banquet, and they drank wine together. 2 While they were drinking, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups and bowls which his father Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from the Temple in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he, his noblemen, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them. 3 At once the gold cups and bowls were brought in, and they all drank wine out of them 4 and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 Suddenly a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster wall of the palace, where the light from the lamps was shining most brightly. And the king saw the hand as it was writing. 6 He turned pale and was so frightened that his knees began to shake. 7 He shouted for someone to bring in the magicians, wizards, and astrologers. When they came in, the king said to them, “Anyone who can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in robes of royal purple, wear a gold chain of honor around his neck, and be the third in power in the kingdom.” 8 The royal advisers came forward, but none of them could read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 In his distress King Belshazzar grew even paler, and his noblemen had no idea what to do.
10 The queen mother heard the noise made by the king and his noblemen and entered the banquet hall. She said, “May Your Majesty live forever! Please do not be so disturbed and look so pale. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When your father was king, this man showed good sense, knowledge, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the fortunetellers, magicians, wizards, and astrologers. 12 He has unusual ability and is wise and skillful in interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining mysteries; so send for this man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, and he will tell you what all this means.”
Daniel Explains the Writing
13 Daniel was brought at once into the king's presence, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, that Jewish exile whom my father the king brought here from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that you are skillful and have knowledge and wisdom. 15 The advisers and magicians were brought in to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not discover the meaning. 16 Now I have heard that you can find hidden meanings and explain mysteries. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in robes of royal purple, wear a gold chain of honor around your neck, and be the third in power in the kingdom.”
17 Daniel replied, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give them to someone else. I will read for Your Majesty what has been written and tell you what it means.
18 “The Supreme God made your father Nebuchadnezzar a great king and gave him dignity and majesty. 19 He was so great that people of all nations, races, and languages were afraid of him and trembled. If he wanted to kill someone, he did; if he wanted to keep someone alive, he did. He honored or disgraced anyone he wanted to. 20 But because he became proud, stubborn, and cruel, he was removed from his royal throne and lost his place of honor. 21 He was driven away from human society, and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like an ox, and slept in the open air with nothing to protect him from the dew. Finally he admitted that the Supreme God controls all human kingdoms and can give them to anyone he chooses.
22 “But you, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this. 23 You acted against the Lord of heaven and brought in the cups and bowls taken from his Temple. You, your noblemen, your wives, and your concubines drank wine out of them and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. But you did not honor the God who determines whether you live or die and who controls everything you do. 24 That is why God has sent the hand to write these words.
25 “This is what was written: ‘Number, number, weight, divisions.’ 26 And this is what it means: number, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 weight, you have been weighed on the scales and found to be too light; 28 divisions, your kingdom is divided up and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Immediately Belshazzar ordered his servants to dress Daniel in a robe of royal purple and to hang a gold chain of honor around his neck. And he made him the third in power in the kingdom. 30 That same night Belshazzar, the king of Babylonia, was killed; 31 and Darius the Mede, who was then sixty-two years old, seized the royal power.
