Now under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,

had taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought in so that the kings, his lords, his wives, and his entertainers might drink from them.

When the gold of the silver and silver vessels taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in,

and while the king, his lords, his wives, and his entertainers were drinking wine from them,

they praised their gods of gold and silver bronze and iron, wood, and stone.

Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the

plaster of the wall in the king's palace. When the king saw the wrist and the hand that wrote,

his face blanched. His thoughts terrified him. His hip joint shook, and his knees knocked. Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the

king and the king asked him, are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile whom my father the king brought from

Judah? I have heard that the spirit of God is in you, that you possess brilliant knowledge and

extraordinary wisdom. I have heard that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom,

I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties.

If you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple.

You will wear a gold collar around your neck and the third in the government of the kingdom.

Daniel answered the king,

you may keep your gifts or give them presents to someone else.

But the writing I will read for you, O King, and I will tell you what it means.

You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple

brought before you so that you and your nobles, your wives, and your entertainers might drink

wine from them, and you praise the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood, and stone

that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence.

But the God in whose hand is your life breath, the whole course of your life you did not glorify,

...