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1 Baltasar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles: and every one drank according to his age. 2 And being now drunk, he commanded that they should bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nabuchodonosor, his father, had brought away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, and his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them. 3 Then were the golden and silver vessels brought, which he had brought away out of the temple that was in Jerusalem: and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.

5 In the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick, upon the surface of the wall of the king's palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote. 6 Then was the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other.

7 And the king cried out aloud to bring in the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whosoever shall read this writing, and shall make known to me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a golden chain on his neck, and shall be the third man in my kingdom. 8 Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king. 9 Wherewith King Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his nobles also were troubled.


10 Then the queen, on occasion of what had happened to the king, and his nobles, came into the banquet-house: and she spoke, and said: O king, live for ever: let not your thoughts trouble you, neither let your countenance be changed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom that has the spirit of the holy gods in him: and in the days of your father knowledge and wisdom were found in him: for King Nabuchodonosor, your father, appointed him prince of the wise men, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, your father, I say, O king: 12 Because a greater spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and showing of secrets, and resolving of difficult things, were found in him, that is, in Daniel: whom the king named Baltassar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be called for, and he will tell the interpretation.

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke, and said to him: Are you Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Juda, whom my father, the king, brought out of Judea? 14 I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and excellent knowledge, and understanding, and wisdom are found in you. 15 And now the wise men, the magicians, have come in before me, to read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof; and they could not declare to me the meaning of this writing. 16 But I have heard of you, that you can interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things: now if you are able to read the writing, and to show me the interpretation thereof, you shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third prince in my kingdom.

17 To which Daniel made answer, and said before the king: your rewards be to yourself, and the gifts of your house give to another: but the writing I will read to you, O king, and show you the interpretation thereof. 18 O king, the most high God gave to Nabuchodonosor, your father, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour. 19 And for the greatness that he gave to him, all people, tribes, and languages trembled, and were afraid of him: whom he would, he slew: and whom he would, he destroyed: and whom he would, he set up: and whom he would, he brought down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened unto pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken away. 21 And he was driven out from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses, and he ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till he knew that the most High ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he will set over it whomsoever it shall please him. 22 You also, his son, O Baltasar, have not humbled your heart, whereas you knew all these things: 23 But have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before you: and you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine in them: and you have praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who has your breath in his hand, and all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Wherefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this that is set down.

25 And this is the writing that is written: MANE, THECEL, PHARES. 26 And this is the interpretation of the word. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom, and has finished it. 27 THECEL: you are weighed in the balance, and are found wanting. 28 PHARES: your kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then by the king's command, Daniel was clothed with purple, and a chain of gold was put about his neck: and it was proclaimed of him that he had power as the third man in the kingdom. 30 The same night Baltasar, the Chaldean king, was slain.

 

 

 

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5:1 Baltasar: Nabuchodonosor died in 563.Then came his son, Evil Merodach (Man of Marduk). He was assassinated by his brother-in- law General Neriglassdar who had served under Nabuchodonosor when Jerusalem was destroyed. Neriglissar was followed by his son Labashi-Marduk who was murdered nine months later, in 556. The leader of the revolt was Nabonidus (Nabunaid). An objection used to be made about chapter 5: Baltassar is presented as the last king of Babylon before its fall. But we now know that know that Nabonidus in the third year of his reign, 553, made his son Baltassar coregent, and he himself left for Teima in Arabia, where he stayed for about ten years, and never reassumed the throne. So people in Babylon would commonly speak of him as king. We are not sure why he stayed so long -- perhaps better climate for his health, or perhaps religious reasons. (Fr. Most) 5:5 But as for the circumstance that the fingers seemed to be writing on the wall over against the candlestick, this was to avoid having the hand and the written matter appear at too great a distance from the light to be clearly visible. (St. Jerome)

5:6 countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and yet he did not do penance. Now to what purpose do we fear evil, if our fear does not make us resolve to avoid it? But, when we are afraid of offending God not to avoid the pains of hell or the loss of heaven, but only because God being our good Father we owe him honor, respect, obedience, then our fear is filial, because a good child does not obey his father on account of the power he has to punish his disobedience, or because he might disinherit him, but purely because he is his father. (St. Francis of Sales) 5:7 third man: That means either that he is to be third in rank after the king, or else one of the three princes of the realm. (St. Jerome) 5:10 queen: Josephus says she was Belshazzar's grandmother, whereas Origen says she was his mother. She therefore knew about previous events of which the king was ignorant. (St. Jerome)

 

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5:17 Daniel was not in the habit of selling divine things, or taking payment from human beings for the divine mysteries; so he was willing to give him knowledge of the unknown without charge. (Theodoret of Cyrus) 5:25-28 The origin and meaning of these words is obscure and has a varied group of opinions on it. Some say that these are Hebrew or Aramaic words, while Josephus seems to think they should be reckond in Greek. Josephus says, " MANEH. This, if it be expounded in the Greek language, may signify a Number, because God has numbered so long a time for your life, and for your government, and that there remains but a small portion. THEKEL This signifies a weight, and means that God has weighed your kingdom in a balance, and finds it going down already.--PHARES. This also, in the Greek tongue, denotes a fragment,.

God will therefore break your kingdom in pieces, and divide it among the Medes and Persians." Interestly, the original Greek Septuagint translators, whether they used another Hebrew/Aramaic version other than the version used today, or whether this too is an original reading from Daniel, who may have wrote more than one version, has an interesting reading, "v. 17 Then Daniel stood before the writing and read, and therefore answered the king, This is the writing: it has been numbered; it has been considered, it has been lifted away. And the writing hand ceased, and this is their interpretation. vv. 26-28 This is the interpretation of the writing: the time of your kingdom has been numbered, your kingdom is coming to an end. It has been cut short, and it has come to pass. Your kingdom is being given to the Medes and to the Persians."