1Kong Belshazzar af Babylonien holdt engang en stor fest for 1000 af sine højtstående embedsmænd, og de tog rigeligt for sig af de våde varer.2Påvirket af vinen gav Belshazzar ordre til, at man skulle hente de guld- og sølvbægre, som hans berømte forgænger, Nebukadnezar, havde taget som krigsbytte fra templet i Jerusalem, så han selv, hans embedsmænd, hans koner og medhustruer kunne drikke af dem.3-4Guld- og sølvbægrene, der stammede fra templet i Jerusalem, blev så hentet, og kongen, hans embedsmænd, hans koner og medhustruer drak af dem, alt imens de skålede for deres afguder af guld og sølv, bronze og jern, træ og sten.5Men pludselig kom en menneskehånd til syne, og den skrev noget på paladsets væg lige over for lysestagen. Da kongen så hånden, der skrev,6blev han bleg som et lagen. Han var så skrækslagen, at hans knæ rystede, og hans ben dårligt kunne bære ham.7„Få fat i alle mine astrologer, præster, spåmænd og vismænd!” råbte han. Og da de ankom til paladset, sagde han til dem: „Den, der kan læse skriften på væggen og forklare, hvad det betyder, skal blive klædt i kongelige purpurklæder, få en guldkæde om halsen og blive udnævnt til rigets tredjemægtigste mand.”8Alle kongens vismænd strømmede nu ind i salen, men ingen af dem kunne læse skriften eller forklare betydningen.9Det gjorde kong Belshazzar endnu mere bange. Også embedsmændene var lamslåede.10Ved al den råben og ståhej kom enkedronningen ind i festsalen. „Deres Majestæt længe leve!” sagde hun. „Du behøver ikke at se så bleg og forskræmt ud!11Der er en mand her i dit rige, som har de hellige guders ånd i sig. Han er så fyldt med viden, visdom og indsigt, at man skulle tro, han var en gud. Derfor gjorde kong Nebukadnezar ham til overhoved for alle astrologerne, præsterne, spåmændene og vismændene i Babylonien.12Hans navn er Daniel, eller Belteshazzar, som Nebukadnezar plejede at kalde ham. Få fat i ham, for han er fyldt med overnaturlig kundskab og indsigt. Han kan tyde drømme, løse gåder og opklare indviklede mysterier. Han skal nok fortælle dig, hvad skriften betyder.”13Daniel blev straks hentet og ført frem for kongen. „Er du den Daniel, som kong Nebukadnezar førte hertil som fange fra Juda?” spurgte Belshazzar.14„Det siges, at gudernes ånd bor i dig, og at du har enestående viden, indsigt og visdom.15Alle mine vismænd og astrologer har været her og forsøgt at læse skriften på væggen dér, så de kunne fortælle mig, hvad der står, men de var ikke i stand til det.16Men jeg hører, at du kan tyde drømme og løse indviklede mysterier. Hvis du kan læse skriften og fortælle mig betydningen af ordene, vil jeg klæde dig i kongelige purpurklæder og hænge en guldkæde om din hals, og du skal blive rigets tredjemægtigste mand.”17„Jeg skal gerne læse skriften for Deres Majestæt og forklare, hvad den betyder,” svarede Daniel. „Men behold blot Deres gaver eller giv dem til en anden.18Lyt til mine ord, Deres Majestæt! Den almægtige Gud gav i sin tid Deres forgænger Nebukadnezar magt og herredømme, ære og herlighed.19Alverdens folkeslag levede i frygt for ham, for han henrettede eller benådede folk efter forgodtbefindende. Han forfremmede nogle og fratog andre deres stilling, akkurat som han havde lyst til.20Men da han blev hovmodig, stolt og indbildsk, stødte Gud ham fra tronen og fratog ham al ære og værdighed.21Han blev udstødt af menneskenes samfund og levede som et dyr hos vildæslerne. Han spiste græs som kvæget og levede under åben himmel, indtil han langt om længe erkendte, at den almægtige Gud er herre over alle jordiske konger, og at Gud udvælger, hvem han vil, til at herske og regere.22Deres Majestæt, De ved, hvad der skete med Nebukadnezar, men alligevel har De ikke ydmyget Dem for Himlens Gud!23Tværtimod har De vist foragt for ham! De beordrede, at man skulle hente sølv- og guldbægrene fra hans tempel, og sammen med Deres embedsmænd, koner og medhustruer drak De af dem og skålede for Deres afguder af guld og sølv, bronze og jern, træ og sten, afguder, som hverken kan høre eller se eller fatte noget som helst. Men den Gud, som har magten over Deres liv og fremtid, viste De ingen ære!24Derfor sendte han hånden, der skrev ordene på væggen.25Der står: MENÉ, MENÉ, TEKÉL og PARSÍN[1]26MENÉ (talt) betyder: Gud har talt Deres riges dage og gjort ende på dem.27TEKÉL (vejet) betyder: De er blevet vejet på Guds vægt og fundet for let.28PARSÍN (delt) betyder: Deres rige skal deles mellem Medien og Persien.”29På Belshazzars befaling blev Daniel derefter klædt i kongelige purpurklæder, en guldkæde blev hængt om hans hals, og han blev udnævnt til rigets tredjemægtigste mand.30Allerede samme nat blev kong Belshazzar dræbt.
1King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. (Ester 1,3; Dan 4,36; Dan 5,22; Dan 5,29; Dan 6,17; Dan 7,1; Dan 8,1)2Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father[1] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. (Dan 1,2; Dan 5,1; Dan 5,23)3Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. (Dan 5,2)4They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. (Dom 16,24; Salm 115,4; Dan 5,23; Åb 9,20)5Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. (Ez 8,3; Dan 4,31; Dan 5,24)6Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. (Salm 69,23; Es 45,1; Dan 4,5; Dan 4,19; Dan 5,10; Dan 7,28; Nah 2,10)7The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared[2] to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Dan 1,4; Dan 2,2; Dan 2,6; Dan 2,27; Dan 4,6; Dan 5,16; Dan 5,29)8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. (1.Mos 41,8; Dan 2,27; Dan 4,7; Dan 4,18; Dan 5,15)9Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. (Dan 2,1; Dan 5,1; Dan 5,6)10The queen,[3] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. (Dan 2,4; Dan 5,6; Dan 5,9)11There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.[4] In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, (Dan 1,20; Dan 2,48; Dan 4,8; Dan 4,9; Dan 5,7)12because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” (Dan 1,7; Dan 1,17; Dan 5,16; Dan 6,3)
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. (Dan 2,25)14I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods[5] is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. (Dan 5,11)15Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. (Dan 2,2; Dan 4,6; Dan 5,7; Dan 5,8)16But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Dan 2,26; Dan 5,7; Dan 5,12; Dan 5,29)17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. (2.Kong 5,16)18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. (Dan 2,37; Dan 3,26; Dan 4,2; Dan 4,22; Dan 4,36; Dan 5,2)19And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. (Dan 3,4; Dan 6,26)20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. (Ez 31,10; Dan 2,21; Dan 4,30)21He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. (Dan 4,25; Dan 4,32; Dan 5,18)22And you his son,[6] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, (2.Krøn 33,23; Dan 5,1)23but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. (Job 12,10; Jer 10,23; Dan 1,2; Dan 4,37; Dan 5,3; Dan 5,4; Ap G 12,23; Åb 16,9)24“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. (Dan 5,5)25And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.26This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[7] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;27Tekel, you have been weighed[8] in the balances and found wanting; (Job 31,6; Salm 62,9)28Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”[9] (Es 13,17; Es 21,2; Jer 51,28; Dan 5,31; Dan 6,28; Dan 9,1)29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. (Dan 5,7; Dan 5,16; Dan 5,22)30That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. (Jer 50,24; Jer 51,31; Jer 51,39; Jer 51,57; Dan 5,22; Dan 9,1)31[10] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (Dan 5,28; Dan 9,1)