牆上寫字
1伯沙撒王盛宴款待一千大臣，與他們一同飲酒。 2王暢飲的時候，命人將先王尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷聖殿中擄來的金銀器皿拿來，供他與大臣、王后和妃嬪用來飲酒。 3於是，他們把從耶路撒冷上帝殿中擄來的金器拿來，王與大臣、王后和妃嬪便用這些器皿飲酒。 4他們一邊飲酒，一邊頌讚金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神明。
5突然，有人手的指頭出現，在燈臺對面王宮的粉牆上寫字。王看見那隻手在寫字， 6臉色驟變，驚恐萬分，兩腿發軟，雙膝顫抖。 7他大聲傳令，召來巫師、占星家和占卜者，對這些巴比倫的智者說：「誰能讀牆上的字，把意思告訴我，他必身穿紫袍，頸戴金鏈，在國中位居第三。」 8王所有的智者進來後，竟無人能讀懂或把意思告訴王。 9伯沙撒王愈發恐懼，臉色蒼白，他的大臣都不知所措。
10太后聽到王和大臣的喊聲，便來到宴會廳，對王說：「願王萬歲！不要驚慌失色。 11你國中有一個人，他有聖潔神明的靈。先王在世時，曾發現他有神明一樣的灼見、悟性和智慧。先王尼布甲尼撒立他為術士、巫師、占星家和占卜者的首領。 12他有非凡的心智、知識和悟性，能解夢、釋謎、解惑。他叫但以理，先王給他取名叫伯提沙撒。現在可以把他召來，他必能解釋這些字的意思。」
13於是，但以理被帶到王面前。王問他：「你就是先王從猶大擄來的但以理嗎？ 14我聽說你有神明的靈，有灼見、悟性和非凡的智慧。 15我召智者和巫師來讀這些字，為我解釋字的意思，但他們都不能解釋。 16我聽說你能釋夢、解惑。你若能讀出牆上的字，把意思告訴我，你必身穿紫袍、頸戴金鏈，在我的國中位居第三。」
17但以理回答說：「你的禮物自己留著，你的賞賜可以給別人，不過我會為你讀這些字，解釋意思。 18王啊，至高的上帝曾將國位、權力、尊榮、威嚴賜給你的先王尼布甲尼撒， 19因為他有上帝所賜的大權，各族、各邦、各語種的人都在他面前戰抖，充滿恐懼。他操生殺大權，可隨意擢升、罷黜。 20但他變得心高氣傲、剛愎自用、狂妄自大，因而被革除王位、剝去尊榮。 21他從人群中被趕走，他的心變成獸心，他與野驢同住，像牛一樣吃草，被天上的露水浸濕，直到他知道至高的上帝主宰世上萬國，祂要把國賜給誰就賜給誰。
22「伯沙撒啊，你是他的後裔，你雖然知道這一切事，仍不謙卑， 23竟在天上的主面前自大，命人拿來祂殿裡的器皿，供你和大臣、王后、妃嬪用來飲酒，並頌讚不能看、不能聽、一無所知、用金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神明，卻不尊崇賜你生命氣息、掌管你一舉一動的上帝。
24「因此，上帝使指頭出現，寫下這些字， 25就是『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新』。 26這些字的意思是這樣，彌尼——指上帝已經數算你國度的年日，使之到此為止； 27提客勒——指你已經被放在秤上稱了，發現分量不夠； 28烏法珥新5·28 「烏法珥新」亞蘭文是「毗勒斯」，即「烏法珥新」的單數格式。——指你的國要分裂，歸給瑪代人和波斯人。」
29於是，伯沙撒下令給但以理穿上紫袍，戴上金項鏈，又宣告他在國中位居第三。 30當夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被殺。 31瑪代人大流士六十二歲時奪取了王權。
1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2Belshazzar, 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.5.2 father: or, grandfather5.2 taken: Chaldee, brought forth 3Then 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. 4They 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. 6Then 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.5.6 countenance: Chaldee, brightnesses5.6 was changed: Chaldee, changed it5.6 joints: or, girdles: Chaldee, bindings, or, knots 7The 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.5.7 aloud: Chaldee, with might5.7 scarlet: or, purple 8Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.5.9 countenance: Chaldee, brightnesses
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: 11There 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;5.11 father: or, grandfather 12Forasmuch 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.5.12 interpreting: or, of an interpreter5.12 dissolving: or, of a dissolver5.12 doubts: Chaldee, knots 13Then 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?5.13 father: or, grandfather 14I 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. 15And 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: 16And 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.5.16 make interpretations: Chaldee, interpret, etc
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.5.17 rewards: or, fee 18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19And 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. 20But 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:5.20 in pride: or, to deal proudly5.20 deposed: Chaldee, made to come down 21And 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.5.21 his heart…: or, he made his heart equal, etc 22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23But 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: 24Then 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. 26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29Then 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. 31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.5.31 being…: Chaldee, he as the son of, etc5.31 about: or, now
