1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: 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, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee. 15 And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. 16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and 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, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty: 19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 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; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this, 23 but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

1 O rei Baltazar deu uma festa para seus mil nobres, em presença dos quais pôs-se a beber vinho.

2 Excitado pela bebida, mandou trazer os vasos de ouro e de prata que seu pai Nabucodonosor tinha arrebatado ao templo de Jerusalém, a fim de que o rei, seus nobres, suas mulheres e suas concubinas deles se servissem para beber.

3 Trouxeram então os vasos de ouro que tinham sido arrebatados ao templo de Deus em Jerusalém. O rei, seus nobres, suas mulheres e suas concubinas beberam neles

4 e, depois de terem bebido vinho, entoaram o louvor aos deuses de ouro e prata, bronze, ferro, madeira e pedra.

5 Ora, nesse momento, eis que surgiram dedos de mão humana a escrever, defronte do candelabro, no revestimento da parede do palácio real. O rei, à vista dessa mão que escrevia,

6 mudou de cor; pensamentos tétricos assaltaram-no; os músculos de seus rins relaxaram-se e seus joelhos entrechocaram-se.

7 Gritou violentamente que mandassem vir os magos, os caldeus e os astrólogos. Mandou-lhes dizer: Aquele que decifrar essa inscrição e me der o sentido dela será revestido de púrpura, usará ao pescoço um colar de ouro e tomará o terceiro lugar no governo do reino.

8 Todos os sábios do rei entraram na sala, mas foram incapazes de ler a inscrição e dar seu significado ao rei.

9 Baltazar ficou muito assustado, seu rosto mudou de cor; seus nobres sentiam-se constrangidos.

10 Mas a rainha, {atraída pelo} barulho das palavras do rei e dos nobres, entrou na sala do festim: Ó rei, disse, vive para sempre! Não te deixes atemorizar pelas tuas idéias; não mudes assim de cor.

11 Há no teu reino um homem no qual habita o espírito dos deuses santos. Quando teu pai era vivo, encontrava-se nele uma luz, uma inteligência e uma sabedoria comparáveis à sabedoria dos deuses. Por isso o rei Nabucodonosor, teu pai, tinha-o nomeado chefe dos escribas, dos magos, dos caldeus e dos astrólogos;

12 havia-se descoberto nesse Daniel {cognominado Baltazar pelo rei} um espírito superior, uma ciência e uma penetração {particular} para interpretar os sonhos, explicar os enigmas e resolver as dificuldades. Que se chame logo Daniel, e ele dará o significado da inscrição.

13 Daniel foi então introduzido diante do rei, o qual lhe disse: és realmente Daniel, o deportado de Judá, que meu pai trouxe aqui da Judéia?

14 Ouvi dizer a teu respeito que o espírito dos deuses habita em ti e que se encontram em ti uma luz, uma inteligência e uma sabedoria singulares.

15 Acabam de introduzir diante de mim os sábios e os magos para ler esta inscrição e descobrir o seu significado. Não puderam dar-me a significação dessas palavras.

16 Ora, asseguraram-me que tu és mestre na arte das interpretações e das soluções de enigmas. Portanto, se puderes ler esse texto e me dar o seu significado, serás revestido de púrpura, usarás ao pescoço um colar de ouro e ocuparás o terceiro lugar no governo do reino.

17 Respondeu Daniel ao rei: Guarda teus presentes; concede-os a outros! Lerei, todavia, este texto ao rei e dar-lhe-ei o significado.

18 Ó rei, o Deus Altíssimo havia outorgado a Nabucodonosor, teu pai, realeza, grandeza, glória e majestade.

19 Em razão dessa grandeza que lhe era conferida, todos os povos, todas as nações e pessoas de todas as línguas tremiam de medo diante dele. Mandava matar quem queria; deixava viver quem desejava; elevava e rebaixava quem lhe aprazia.

20 Mas, seu coração, tendo-se engrandecido e seu espírito, tendo-se endurecido na presunção, foi deposto de seu trono e despojado de sua glória.

21 Foi expulso do meio dos homens e, tornando-se seu coração, semelhante ao dos animais, ficou em companhia dos animais selvagens, pastando ervas como os bois; e seu corpo foi molhado pelo orvalho do céu, até que ele reconhecesse que o Deus Altíssimo domina sobre a realeza humana, e aí eleva a quem bem lhe apraz.

22 Tu, Baltazar, seu filho, também sabias tudo isso e não humilhaste teu coração.

23 Tu te ergueste contra o Senhor do céu. Trouxeram-te os vasos de seu templo, nos quais bebestes o vinho, tu, teus nobres, tuas mulheres e tuas concubinas. Deste louvor aos deuses de prata e ouro, bronze, ferro, madeira e pedra, cegos, surdos e impassíveis, em lugar de dar glória ao Deus de quem depende o teu sopro {vital} e todo teu destino.

24 Assim, por ordem sua, essa mão foi enviada e essas palavras foram traçadas.

25 O texto aqui escrito {se lê}: MENÊ, TEQUEL e PERÊS.

26 Eis o significado dessas palavras: MENÊ - Deus contou {os anos} de teu reinado e nele põe um fim;

27 TEQUEL - foste pesado na balança e considerado leve demais;

28 PERÊS - teu reino vai ser dividido e entregue aos medos e persas.

29 Então, por ordem de Baltazar, Daniel foi revestido de púrpura; colocaram-lhe ao pescoço um colar de ouro e publicou-se que ele ocuparia o terceiro lugar no governo do reino.

30 {Mas} nessa mesma noite, Baltazar, rei dos caldeus, foi morto.

31 Dario, o medo, recebeu a realeza mais ou menos com a idade de sessenta e dois anos.