Chapter 5

Belshazzar’s Feast

1 Belshazzar the king 1held a great afeast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver avessels which Nebuchadnezzar his 1father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.

3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

4 They adrank the wine and praised the gods of bgold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5 Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the 1back of the hand that did the writing.

6 Then the king’s 1aface grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his bhip joints went slack and his cknees began knocking together.

7 The king called aloud to bring in the aconjurers, the 1Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be bclothed with purple and have a cnecklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as 2dthird ruler in the kingdom.”

8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but athey could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.

9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly aalarmed, his 1bface grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.

10 The queen entered the banquet 1hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “aO king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your 2face be pale.

11 “There is a aman in your kingdom in whom is 1a bspirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father 2cthe king, appointed him chief of the 3magicians, conjurers, 4Chaldeans and diviners.

12 “This was because an aextraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named bBelteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets Handwriting on the Wall

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the 1aexiles from Judah, whom my father the king bbrought from Judah?

14 “Now I have heard about you that 1a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.

15 “Just now the awise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they bcould not declare the interpretation of the 1message.

16 “But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its ainterpretation known to me, you will be bclothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the 1third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “1Keep your agifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.

18 “1O king, the aMost High God bgranted 2sovereignty, cgrandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

19 “Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every 1language feared and trembled before him; awhomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.

20 “But when his heart was alifted up and his spirit became so 1bproud that he behaved arrogantly, he was cdeposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

21 “He was also adriven away from 1mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the bwild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the cMost High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

22 “Yet you, his 1son, Belshazzar, have anot humbled your heart, 2even though you knew all this,

23 but you have aexalted yourself against the bLord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the cgods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God din whose hand are your life-breath and all your eways, you have not glorified.

24 “Then the 1ahand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25 “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘1MENĒ, 1MENĒ, 2TEKĒL, 3UPHARSIN.’

26 “This is the interpretation of the 1message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and aput an end to it.

27 “ ‘TEKĒL’—you have been aweighed on the scales and found deficient.

28 “ ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the aMedes and 1Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they aclothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the 1third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That same night aBelshazzar the Chaldean king was bslain.

31 1So aDarius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

Chapter 6

Daniel Serves Darius

1 1It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom,

2 and over them three commissioners (of whom aDaniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer bloss.

3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself 1among the commissioners and satraps because 2he possessed an aextraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the bentire kingdom.

4 Then the commissioners and satraps began atrying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to 1government affairs; but they could find bno ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.

5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the alaw of his God.”

6 Then these commissioners and satraps came 1by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, alive forever!

7 “All the acommissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have bconsulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall cbe cast into the lions’ 1den.

8 “Now, O king, aestablish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the blaw of the Medes and Persians, which 1may not be revoked.”

9 Therefore King Darius asigned the document, that is, the injunction.

10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open atoward Jerusalem); and he continued bkneeling on his knees three times a day, cpraying and dgiving thanks before his God, 1as he had been doing previously.

11 Then these men came 1aby agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.

12 Then they approached and aspoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the blaw of the Medes and Persians, which 1may not be revoked.”

13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, “aDaniel, who is one of the 1exiles from Judah, pays bno attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”

14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply adistressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him.

15 Then these men came 1by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a alaw of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and acast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “1bYour God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”

17 A astone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.

18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night afasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his bsleep fled from him.

19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den.

20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ayour God, whom you constantly serve, been bable to deliver you from the lions?”

21 Then Daniel spoke 1to the king, “aO king, live forever!

22 “My God asent His angel and bshut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as 1I was found innocent before Him; and also 2toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.”

23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and ano injury whatever was found on him, because he had btrusted in his God.

24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had 1maliciously accused Daniel, and they acast them, their bchildren and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the apeoples, nations and men of every 1language who were living in all the land: “bMay your 2peace abound!

26 “1I amake a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel;

For He is the bliving God and cenduring forever,

And dHis kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,

And His dominion will be 2forever.

27 “He delivers and rescues and performs asigns and wonders

In heaven and on earth,

Who has also delivered Daniel from the 1power of the lions.”

28 So this aDaniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of bCyrus the Persian.

Chapter 7

Vision of the Four Beasts

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a adream and visions 1in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he bwrote the dream down and related the 2following summary of 3it.

2 Daniel 1said, “I was alooking in my vision by night, and behold, the bfour winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

3 “And four great abeasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

4 “The first was alike a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human 1mind also was given to it.

5 “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’

6 “After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, alike a leopard, which had on its 1back four wings of a bird; the beast also had bfour heads, and dominion was given to it.

7 “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a afourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had bten horns.

8 “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, aanother horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, 1this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and ba mouth uttering great boasts.

The Ancient of Days Reigns

9 “I kept looking

Until athrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

His bvesture was like white snow

And the chair of His head like pure wool.

His dthrone was 1ablaze with flames,

Its ewheels were a burning fire.

10 “A river of afire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

bThousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The ccourt sat,

And dthe books were opened.

11 “Then I kept looking because of the sound of the 1boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the aburning 2fire.

12 “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

The Son of Man Presented

13 “I kept looking in the night visions,

And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a aSon of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

14 “And to Him was given adominion,

Glory and 1ba kingdom,

cThat all the peoples, nations and men of every 2language

Might serve Him.

dHis dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

eAnd His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed.

The Vision Interpreted

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed 1within me, and the avisions 2in my mind kept balarming me.

16 “I approached one of those who were astanding by and began asking him the 1exact meaning of all this. So he btold me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth.

18 ‘But the 1asaints of the Highest One will breceive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, 2for all ages to come.’

19 “Then I desired to know the 1exact meaning of the afourth beast, which was different from all 2the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,

20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts and 1which was larger in appearance than its associates.

21 “I kept looking, and that horn was awaging war with the 1saints and overpowering them

22 until the Ancient of Days came and ajudgment was 1passed in favor of the 2saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the 2saints took possession of the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.

24 ‘As for the aten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.

25 ‘He will aspeak 1out against the bMost High and cwear down the 2saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make dalterations in times and in law; and 3they will be given into his hand for a 4etime, 4times, and half a 4time.

26 ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be ataken away, 1annihilated and destroyed 2forever.

27 ‘Then the 1asovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the 2saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an beverlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will cserve and obey Him.’

28 “1At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were agreatly alarming me and my 2face grew pale, but I bkept the matter 3to myself.”