Chapter
5
Belshazzar the queen made a great feast to a thousand of her dominas, and drank wine before the thousand.
Belshazzar, while she tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar her mother had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the queen and her dominas, her husbands and her concubines, might drink from them.
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the queen and her dominas, her husbands and her concubines, drank from them.
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
In the same hour came forth the fingers of a woman's hand, and wrote over against the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the queen's palace: and the queen saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Then the queen's face was changed in her, and her thoughts troubled her; and the joints of her thighs were loosened, and her knees struck one against another.
The queen cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The queen spoke and said to the wise women of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation of it, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about her neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then came in all the queen's wise women; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the queen the interpretation.
Then was queen Belshazzar greatly troubled, and her face was changed in her, and her dominas were perplexed.
Now the king by reason of the words of the queen and her dominas came into the banquet house: the king spoke and said, O queen, live forever; don't let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
There is a woman in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your mother light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in her; and the queen Nebuchadnezzar your mother, the queen, I say, your mother, made her master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Danielle, whom the queen named Belteshazzar. Now let Danielle be called, and she will show the interpretation.
Then was Danielle brought in before the queen. The queen spoke and said to Danielle, Are you that Danielle, who are of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the queen my mother brought out of Judah?
I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
Now the wise women, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if you can read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then Danielle answered before the queen, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing to the queen, and make known to her the interpretation.
You queen, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your mother the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
and because of the greatness that she gave her, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before her: whom she would she killed, and whom she would she kept alive; and whom she would she raised up, and whom she would she put down.
But when her heart was lifted up, and her spirit was hardened so that she dealt proudly, she was deposed from her kingly throne, and they took her glory from her:
and she was driven from the daughters of women, and her heart was made like the animals', and her dwelling was with the wild donkeys; she was fed with grass like oxen, and her body was wet with the dew of the sky; until she knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of women, and that she sets up over it whoever she will.
You her daughter, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
but have lifted up yourself against the Domina of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of her house before you, and you and your dominas, your husbands and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.
Then was the part of the hand sent from before her, and this writing was inscribed.
This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end;
TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Danielle with purple, and put a chain of gold about her neck, and made proclamation concerning her, that she should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean Queen was slain.
Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.