Historical
5 5 Belshazzar king of Babylon seeth an handwriting on the wall. 8 The soothsayers called of the king, cannot expound the writing. 25 Daniel readeth it, and interpreteth it also. 30 The king is slain. 31 Darius enjoyeth the kingdom.
1 King [a]Belshazzar made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and drank wine [b]before the thousand.
2 And Belshazzar [c]while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring him the golden and silver vessels, which his [d]father Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the Temple in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives, 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 Jerusalem, and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the [e]gods 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 [f]against 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 [g]knees smote one against the other.
7 Wherefore the king cried loud, that they should bring [h]the astrologians, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babel, Whosoever can read this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor show the king the interpretation.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his princes were astonied.
10 Now the [i]Queen by reason of the talk of the King and his princes, came into the banquet house, and the Queen spake, and said, O king, live forever: 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 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 chief of the [j]enchanters, astrologians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
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 Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.
13 ¶ Then was Daniel brought 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 my father the king brought out of Jewry?
14 Now I have heard of thee, that [k]the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and that light and understanding, and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 Now therefore wise men and Astrologians have been brought before me, that they should read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof: but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
16 Then heard I of thee, that thou couldest show interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shall have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, Keep thy rewards to thyself, and give thy gifts to another: yet I will read the writing unto the king, and show him the interpretation.
18 O king, hear thou, The most high God gave unto [l]Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and honor, 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 puffed up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his honor 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, till he knew that the most high God bare rule over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it, whomsoever he pleaseth.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all these things,
23 But hast lifted thyself 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 [m]Then was the palm of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
25 And this is the writing that he hath written, [n]MENE, 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 weighed in the balance, and art found [o]too light.
28 PERES, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then at the commandment of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel 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 Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius [p]of the Medes took the kingdom, being threescore and two years old.
6 1 Daniel is made ruler over the governors. 5 An act against Daniel. 16 He is put into a den of lions by the commandment of the king. 23 He is delivered by faith in God. 24 Daniel’s accusers are put unto the lions. 25 Darius by a decree magnifieth the God of Daniel.
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom [q]an hundred and twenty governors, which should be over the whole kingdom,
2 And over these three rulers, (of whom Daniel was one) that the governors might give accompts unto them, and the king [r]should have no damage.
3 Now this Daniel [s]was preferred above the rulers, and governors, because the spirit was excellent in him, and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 ¶ Wherefore the rulers and governors [t]sought an occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom: but they could find none occasion nor fault: for he was so faithful that there was no blame nor fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find an occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God.
6 Therefore the rulers and these governors went together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.
7 All the rulers of thy kingdom, the officers and governors, the counselors and dukes have consulted together to make a decree for the king, and to establish a statute, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, confirm the decree, and seal the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius [u]sealed the writing and the decree.
10 ¶ Now when Daniel understood that he had sealed the writing, he went into his house, and his [v]window being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and praised his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying, and making supplication unto his God.
12 So they came and spake unto the king concerning the king’s decree, Hast thou not sealed the decree, that every man that shall make a request to any god or man within thirty days, save to thee, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions? The King answered, and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they, and said unto the King, This Daniel which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast sealed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 When the King heard these words, he was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel, to deliver him: and he labored till the sun went down, to deliver him.
15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the King, Understand, O King, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king confirmeth, may be [w]altered.
16 ¶ Then the King commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions: now the king spake, and said unto Daniel, Thy God, whom thou always servest, even he will deliver thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the King sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his princes, that the purpose might not be changed, concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went unto his palace, and remained fasting, neither were the instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him.
19 ¶ Then the king arose early in the morning, and went in all haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake, and said to Daniel, O Daniel the servant of the living God, is not thy God (whom thou always servest) [x]able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the King, O king, live forever.
22 My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the lion’s mouths, and they have not hurt me: for [y]my justice was found out before him: and unto thee, O king, I have done [z]no hurt.
23 Then was the King exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel out of the den: so Daniel was brought out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he [aa]believed in his God.
24 And by the commandment of the King these men which had accused Daniel, were brought, and were [ab]cast into the den of lions, even they, their children, and their wives: and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones a pieces, or ever they came at the ground of the den.
25 ¶ Afterward King Darius wrote, Unto all people, nations and languages, that dwell in all the world: Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear [ac]before the God of Daniel: for he is the [ad]living God, and remaineth forever: and his kingdom shall not perish, and his dominion shall be everlasting.
27 He rescueth and delivereth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus of Persia.
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