La escritura en la pared

El rey Belsasar ofreció un gran banquete a mil miembros de la nobleza y bebió vino con ellos. Mientras bebía, Belsasar mandó que trajeran las copas de oro y de plata que Nabucodonosor, su padre,[a] había tomado del Templo de Jerusalén, para que también bebieran sus nobles junto con sus esposas y concubinas.[b] Entonces le llevaron las copas, y en ellas bebieron el rey y sus nobles, junto con sus esposas y concubinas. Bebían vino y alababan a los dioses de oro, plata, bronce, hierro, madera y piedra.

En 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, el rostro le palideció del susto, las rodillas comenzaron a temblarle y apenas podía sostenerse. Entonces mandó que vinieran los hechiceros, astrólogos y adivinos para decir a estos sabios babilonios:

—Al que lea lo que allí está escrito y me diga lo que significa, lo vestiré de color púrpura, le pondré una cadena de oro en el cuello y lo nombraré tercer gobernante del reino.

Todos los sabios del reino se presentaron, pero no pudieron leer lo escrito ni decirle al rey lo que significaba. Esto hizo que el rey Belsasar se asustara y palideciera más todavía. Los nobles, por su parte, se hallaban confundidos.

10 Al oír el alboroto que hacían el rey y sus nobles, la reina misma entró en la sala del banquete y exclamó:

—¡Que viva Su Majestad por siempre! ¡Y no se alarme ni se ponga pálido! 11 En su reino, hay un hombre en quien reposa el espíritu de los dioses santos. En tiempo de su padre se descubrió que tenía percepción, inteligencia y sabiduría, semejante a la de los dioses. Su padre, el rey Nabucodonosor, lo nombró jefe de los magos, hechiceros, astrólogos y adivinos. 12 Y es que ese hombre, a quien el rey llamó Beltsasar, tiene una inteligencia extraordinaria, conocimiento, entendimiento y capacidad para interpretar sueños, explicar misterios y resolver problemas difíciles. Llame usted a ese hombre y él le dirá lo que significa ese escrito.

13 Daniel fue llevado a la presencia del rey y este preguntó:

—¿Así que tú eres Daniel, uno de los exiliados que mi padre trajo de Judá? 14 Me han contado que en ti reposa el espíritu de los dioses y que posees iluminación, inteligencia y una sabiduría extraordinaria. 15 Los sabios y hechiceros se presentaron ante mí para leer esta escritura y decirme lo que significa, pero no pudieron descifrarla. 16 Según me han dicho, tú puedes dar interpretaciones y resolver problemas difíciles. Si logras leer e interpretar lo que allí está escrito, te vestiré de color púrpura, te pondré una cadena de oro en el cuello y te nombraré tercer gobernante del reino.

17 —Usted puede quedarse con sus regalos o dárselos a otro —respondió Daniel al rey—. Yo voy a leerle a Su Majestad lo que dice en la pared y le explicaré lo que significa.

18 »Su Majestad, el Dios Altísimo dio al rey Nabucodonosor, su padre, grandeza, gloria, majestad y esplendor. 19 Gracias 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 promover a alguien, lo promovía; y, si quería humillarlo, lo humillaba. 20 Pero cuando su corazón se volvió arrogante por causa del orgullo, se le arrebató el trono real y se le despojó de su gloria. 21 Fue 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 del cielo empapaba su cuerpo. Todo esto le sucedió hasta que reconoció que el Dios Altísimo es Soberano sobre todos los reinos del mundo, y que se los entrega a quien él quiere.

22 »Pero usted, Belsasar, siendo su hijo, no se humilló a pesar de saber todo esto. 23 Por el contrario, se ha opuesto al Señor del cielo mandando traer de su Templo las copas para que beban en ellas usted y sus nobles, sus esposas y concubinas. Usted glorificó a los dioses de oro, plata, hierro, madera y piedra, dioses que no pueden ver ni oír ni entender. Pero no glorificó al Dios en cuyas manos se encuentran su vida y todos sus caminos. 24 Por eso Dios ha enviado esa mano a escribir 25 lo que allí aparece:

mene, mene, téquel, parsin.

26 »Pues bien, esto es lo que significan esas palabras:

»Mene: Dios ha contado los días de su reino y les ha puesto un límite.

27 »Téquel: Ha sido puesto en la balanza y no pesa lo que debería pesar.

28 »Peres:[c] Su reino se ha dividido y entregado a medos y persas».

29 Entonces Belsasar ordenó que se vistiera a Daniel de color púrpura, que se le pusiera una cadena de oro en el cuello y que se le nombrara tercer gobernante del reino.

30 Esa misma noche fue asesinado Belsasar, rey de los babilonios, 31 y Darío el meda se apoderó del reino cuando tenía sesenta y dos años.

Footnotes

  1. 5:2 O ancestro; o predecesor; también en vv. 11, 13 y 18.
  2. 5:2-3 Véase nota en Gn 22:24.
  3. 5:28 Peres (el singular de Parsin) puede significar dividido o Persia o media mina o medio siclo.

Belshazzar’s Special Supper

King Belshazzar gave a special supper for a thousand of his important men, and drank wine with them. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he had all the gold and silver cups brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he and his important men and all his wives could drink from them. So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his important men and all his wives drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

All at once the fingers of a man’s hand were seen writing on the wall near the lamp-stand of the king’s house. And the king saw the back of the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s face turned white, and his thoughts turned to fear. His legs became weak and his knees began shaking. The king called in a loud voice for the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars and those who used their secret ways. He said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed with purple clothing and have a chain of gold around his neck. And he will be the third in power in the nation.” Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. Then King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face lost even more of its color, and his important men did not know what to do.

10 The queen heard the words of the king and his men, and came into the room where they were eating. She said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts make you afraid or your face turn white. 11 There is a man in your nation who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father’s time light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him the head of the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars, and those who use their secret ways. 12 This was because a special spirit was found in this Daniel whom the king called Belteshazzar. He had much learning and understanding to tell the meaning of dreams and secrets and to give answers to problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what this means.”

Daniel Tells What the Writing Means

13 So Daniel was brought to the king. And the king said to him, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the people whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. Light and understanding and special wisdom have been found in you also. 15 The wise men and wonder-workers were brought in to me so that they might read this writing and tell me what it means. But they could not tell me its meaning. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to tell the meaning of such things and give answers to hard problems. If you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in purple and wear a chain of gold around your neck. And you will be the third in power in the nation.”

17 Then Daniel answered the king, saying, “Keep your gifts for yourself, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing to the king and tell him what it means. 18 O king, the Most High made your father Nebuchadnezzar king, and gave him greatness, honor, and power. 19 Because of the greatness He gave to him, all the people of every nation and language shook in fear in front of him. He killed whomever he wanted. And he let live whomever he wanted. He gave honor to whomever he wanted. And he put down whomever he wanted. 20 But when his heart and spirit became proud and he acted in pride, he was taken from his throne and his greatness was taken from him. 21 He was driven away from people, and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet with the water from heaven. It was like this for him until he understood that the Most High God is ruler over the nation of all men, and that He lets whomever He wants rule it. 22 Yet you, his son Belshazzar, have not put away the pride from your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 You have honored yourself more than the Lord of heaven. The cups of His house have been brought to you. And you and your important men and all your wives have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But you have not honored the God Who holds your life and your ways in His hand. 24 So the hand was sent from Him to write on your wall. 25 “This is what was written: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.’ 26 And this is what it means: ‘MENE’ means that God has numbered the days of your rule and has brought it to an end. 27 ‘TEKEL’ means that you have been weighed and found to be too light. 28 ‘PERES’ means that your nation has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar had them dress Daniel in purple and put a chain of gold around his neck. And he made it known that Daniel was the third most powerful ruler in the nation.

Belshazzar Is Killed

30 That very night Belshazzar the king of Babylon was killed. 31 So Darius the Mede became the king when he was sixty-two years old.