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，有人的手指出現，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，他裡面有聖潔神明的靈。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恐懼顫抖。他操生殺大權，可隨意提升、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瑪代人大流士奪取了王權，時年六十二歲。
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.
