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Daniel 5

5 Belshazzár King of Babylon seeth an hand writing on the wall. 8 The sothsayers called of the King, can not expound the writing 25 Daniél readeth it, and interpreteth it also 30 The King is slain. 31 Darius enjoyeth the kingdom.
1.King aBelshazzár made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and drank wine bbefore the thousand.
2.And Belshazzár ^whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring him the golden and silver vessels, which his cfather Nebuchad-nezzár had broght from the Temple in Jerusalém, that the King and his princes, his wife, and his concubines might drink therein.
3.Then were brought the golden vessels, that were taken out of the Temple of the Lord’s house at Jerusalém, and the King and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drank in them.
4.They drank wine and praised the dgods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone.
5.At the same hour appeared fingers of a man’s hand, which wrote over eagainst the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the King’s palace, and the King saw the palm of the hand that wrote.
6.Then the King’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his fknees smote one against the other.
7.Wherefore the King cryed loud, that they should bring gthe astrologians, the Caldeans and the sothsaiers. And the King spake, and said to the wise men of Babél, Whosoever can read this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shalbe clothed with purple, and shal have a chain of gold about his neck, and shalbe the third ruler in the kingdom.
8.Then came all the King’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor shewe the King the interpretation.
9.Then was King Belshazzár greatly troubled, & his countenance was changed in him, and his princes were astonied.
10.Now the hQueen by reason of the talk of the King, and his princes came into the banket house, and the Queen spake, and said, O King, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
11.There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holie 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 Nebuchad-nezzár thy father the King, I say, thy father, made chief of the ienchanters, astrologians, Caldeans, and sothsaiers,
12.Because a more excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding (for he did expound dreams, and declare hard sentences, and dissolved doubts) were found in him, even in Daniél, whom the King named Belteshazzár: now let Daniél be called, and he will declare the interpretation.
13.¶ Then was Daniél brought before the King, and the King spake and said unto Daniél, Art thou that Daniél, which art of the children of the captivity of Judáh, whom my father the King brought out of Jewry?
14.Now I have heard of thee, that kthe spirit of the holie gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15.Now therefore wisemen, and astrologians have been brought before me, that they should read this writing, and shewe me the interpretation thereof: but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
16.Then heard I of thee, that thou couldest shewe interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and shewe me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17.Then Daniél answered, and said before the King, Keep thy rewards to thy self, and give thy gifts to another: yet I will read the writing unto the King and shewe him the interpretation.
18.O King, hear thou, The most high God gave unto lNebuchadnezzár thy father a kingdom, and majesty and honour and glory.
19.And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled, and feared before him: he put to death whom he would: he smote whom he would: whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down.
20.But when his heart was puft up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his honour from him.
21.And 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 the heaven, til he knewe, that the most high God bare rule over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it, whom soever he pleaseth.
22.And thou his son, ô Belshazzár, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all these things,
23.But hast lift thy self up against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, 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 neither see, neither hear, nor understand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy ways, him hast thou not glorified.
24.mThen was the palm of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
25.And this is the writing that he hath written, nMENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.
26.This is the interpretation of the thing, MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it:
27.TEKEL, thou art weighted in the balance, and art found ^too light.
28.PERES, thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29.Then at the commandment of Belshazzár they clothed Daniél with purple, 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.The same night was Belshazzár the King of the Caldeans slain.
31.And Darius oof the Medes took the kingdom, being threscore and two year old.

Notes

1-a.
Daniel recites this history of King Belshazzar Evilmerodach’s son, to show God’s judgements against the wicked, for the deliverance of his Church, and how the prophecy of Jeremiah was true, that they should be delivered after seventy years.
1-b.
The Kings of the East parts then used to sit alone commonly, and disdained that any should sit in their company: and now to show his power, and how little he set by his enemy, which then besieged Babylon, he made a solemn banquet, and used excess in their company which is meant here by drinking wine: thus the wicked are most dissolute, and negligent when their destruction is at hand.
2-^.
Or, overcome with wine.
2-c.
Meaning his grandfather.
4-d.
In contempt of the true God they praised their idols, not that they thought that the gold or silver were gods, but that there was a certain virtue, and power in them to do them good, which is also the opinion of all idolaters.
5-e.
That it might the better be seen.
6-f.
So he that before contemned God, was moved by this sight to tremble for fear of God’s judgements.
7-g.
Thus the wicked in their troubles seek many means, who draw them from God, because they seek not to him who is the only comfort in all afflictions.
10-h.
To wit, his grandmother Nebuchad-nezzár’s wife, which for her age was not before at the feast, but came thether when she heard of these strange news.
11-i.
Read ch. 4.6 and this declares, that both this name was odious unto him and also that he did not use these vile practices, because he was not among them when all were called.
14-k.
For the idolaters thought, that the Angels had power as God, and therefore had them in like estimation, as they had God, thinking that the spirit of prophecy, and understanding came of them.
18-l.
Before he read the writing, he declared to the King his great ingratitude toward God, who could not be moved to give him the glory, considering his wonderful work toward his grandfather, and so shows, that he does not sin of ignorance, but of malice.
24-m.
After that God had so long time deferred his anger, and patiently waited for your amendment.
25-n.
This word is twice written for the certainty of the thing: showing, that God had most surely counted: signifying also that God has appointed a term for all kingdoms, and that a miserable end shall come on all that raise themselves against him.
27-^.
Or, wanting.
31-o.
Cyrus his son in law gave him this title of honour although Cyrus in effect had to dominion.