The Writing on the Wall
1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father5:2 Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18 had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers5:7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11 and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10The queen,5:10 Or queen mother hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22“But you, Belshazzar, his son,5:22 Or descendant; or successor have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25“This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26“Here is what these words mean:
Mene5:26 Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27Tekel5:27 Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28Peres5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians,5:30 Or Chaldeans was slain, 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.5:31 In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.
La escritura en la pared
1El rey Belsasar ofreció un gran banquete a mil miembros de la nobleza, y bebió vino con ellos hasta emborracharse. 2-3Mientras brindaban, Belsasar mandó que le trajeran las copas de oro y de plata que Nabucodonosor, su padre, había tomado del templo de Jerusalén. Y así se hizo. Le llevaron las copas, y en ellas bebieron el rey y sus nobles, junto con sus esposas y concubinas. 4Ya borrachos, se deshacían en alabanzas a los dioses de oro, plata, bronce, hierro, madera y piedra.
5En ese momento, en la sala del palacio apareció una mano que, a la luz de las lámparas, escribía con el dedo sobre la parte blanca de la pared. Mientras el rey observaba la mano que escribía, 6el rostro le palideció del susto, las rodillas comenzaron a temblarle y apenas podía sostenerse. 7Mandó entonces que vinieran los hechiceros, astrólogos y adivinos, y a estos sabios babilonios les dijo:
―Al que lea lo que allí está escrito, y me diga lo que significa, lo vestiré de púrpura, le pondré una cadena de oro en el cuello y lo nombraré tercer gobernante del reino.
8Todos los sabios del reino se presentaron, pero no pudieron descifrar lo escrito ni decirle al rey lo que significaba. 9Esto hizo que el rey Belsasar se asustara y palideciera más todavía. Los nobles, por su parte, se hallaban confundidos.
10Al oír el alboroto que hacían el rey y sus nobles, la reina misma entró en la sala del banquete y exclamó:
―¡Que viva el rey para siempre! ¡Y no se alarme ni se ponga pálido! 11En tu reino hay un hombre en quien reposa el espíritu de los santos dioses. Cuando vivía el rey Nabucodonosor, tu padre, se halló que ese hombre poseía sabiduría, inteligencia y gran percepción, semejantes a las de los dioses. Tu padre llegó a nombrar a ese hombre jefe de los magos, hechiceros, astrólogos y adivinos. 12Y es que ese hombre tiene una mente aguda, amplios conocimientos, e inteligencia y capacidad para interpretar sueños, explicar misterios y resolver problemas difíciles. Llama a ese hombre, y él te dirá lo que significa ese escrito. Se llama Daniel, aunque tu padre le puso por nombre Beltsasar.
13Daniel fue llevado a la presencia del rey, y este le preguntó:
―¿Así que tú eres Daniel, uno de los exiliados que mi padre trajo de Judá? 14Me han contado que en ti reposa el espíritu de los dioses, y que posees gran agudeza e inteligencia, y una sabiduría sorprendente. 15Los sabios y hechiceros se presentaron ante mí para leer esta escritura y decirme lo que significa, pero no pudieron descifrarla. 16Según me han dicho, tú puedes dar interpretaciones y resolver problemas difíciles. Si logras descifrar e interpretar lo que allí está escrito, te vestiré de púrpura, te pondré una cadena de oro en el cuello y te nombraré tercer gobernante del reino.
17―Puedes quedarte con tus regalos, rey, o dárselos a otro —le respondió Daniel—. Yo voy a leerte lo que está escrito en la pared, y te explicaré lo que significa.
18»El Dios Altísimo dio al rey Nabucodonosor, tu padre, grandeza, gloria, majestad y esplendor. 19Gracias a la autoridad que Dios le dio, ante él temblaban de miedo todos los pueblos, naciones y gente de toda lengua. A quien él quería matar, lo mandaba matar; a quien quería perdonar, lo perdonaba; si quería ascender a alguien, lo ascendía; y, si quería humillarlo, lo humillaba. 20Pero, cuando su corazón se volvió arrogante y orgulloso, se le arrebató el trono real y se le despojó de su gloria; 21fue apartado de la gente y recibió la mente de un animal; vivió entre los asnos salvajes y se alimentó con pasto como el ganado; ¡el rocío de la noche empapaba su cuerpo! Todo esto le sucedió hasta que reconoció que el Dios Altísimo es el Soberano de todos los reinos del mundo, y que se los entrega a quien él quiere.
22»Sin embargo, y a pesar de saber todo esto, tú, hijo de Nabucodonosor, no te has humillado. 23Por el contrario, te has opuesto al Dios del cielo mandando traer de su templo las copas para que bebáis en ellas tú y tus nobles, vuestras esposas y concubinas. Te has deshecho en alabanzas a los dioses de oro, plata, hierro, madera y piedra, dioses que no pueden ver ni oír ni entender; en cambio, no has honrado al Dios en cuyas manos se hallan tu vida y tus acciones. 24Por eso Dios ha enviado esa mano a escribir 25lo que allí aparece: Mene, Mene, Téquel, Parsin.
26»Pues bien, esto es lo que significan esas palabras:
»Mene: Dios ha contado los días de tu reino, y les ha puesto un límite.
27»Téquel: Has sido puesto en la balanza, y no pesas lo que deberías pesar.
28»Parsin: Tu reino se ha dividido, y ha sido entregado a medos y persas».
29Entonces Belsasar ordenó que se vistiera a Daniel de púrpura, que se le pusiera una cadena de oro en el cuello y que se le nombrara tercer gobernante del reino. 30Esa misma noche fue asesinado Belsasar, rey de los babilonios, y Darío el Persa se apoderó del reino. 31Para entonces, Darío tenía sesenta y dos años.
