The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 570

4:31. Now at the end of the days, I, Nabuchodonosor, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.

4:32. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?

4:33. At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my n.o.bles, and my magistrates, sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.

4:34. Therefore I, Nabuchodonosor, do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.

I, Nabuchodonosor, do now, etc... From this place some commentators infer that this king became a true convert, and dying not long after, was probably saved.

Daniel Chapter 5

Baltasar's profane banquet: his sentence is denounced by a handwriting on the wall, which Daniel reads and interprets.

5:1. Baltasar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his n.o.bles: and every one drank according to his age.

Baltasar... He is believed to be the same as Nabonydus, the last of the Chaldean kings, grandson to Nabuchodonosor. He is called his son, ver.

2, 11, etc., according to the style of the scriptures, because he was a descendant from him.

5:2. 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 n.o.bles, and his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.

5:3. Then were the golden and silver vessels brought, which he had brought away out of the temple that was in Jeursalem: and the king and his n.o.bles, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

5:4. They drank wine, and praised their G.o.ds of gold, and of silver, of bra.s.s, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.

5:5. 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.

5:6. 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.

5:7. 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.

5:8. Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

5:9. Wherewith king Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his n.o.bles also were troubled.

5:10. Then the queen, on occasion of what had happened to the king, and his n.o.bles, came into the banquet-house: and she spoke, and said: O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, neither let thy countenance be changed.

The queen... Not the wife, but the mother of the king.

5:11. There is a man in thy kingdom that hath the spirit of the holy G.o.ds in him: and in the days of thy father knowledge and wisdom were found in him: for king Nabuchodonosor, thy father, appointed him prince of the wise men, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, thy father, I say, O king:

5:12. Because a greater spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and shewing of secrets, and resolving of difficult things, were found in him, that is, in Daniel: whom the king named Balta.s.sar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be called for, and he will tell the interpretation.

5:13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke, and said to him: Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Juda, whom my father, the king, brought out of Judea?

5:14. I have heard of thee, that thou hast the spirit of the G.o.ds, and excellent knowledge, and understanding, and wisdom are found in thee.

5:15. And now the wise men, the magicians, have come in before me, to read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof; and they could not declare to me the meaning of this writing.

5:16. But I have heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things: now if thou art able to read the writing, and to shew me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third prince in my kingdom.

5:17. To which Daniel made answer, and said before the king: thy rewards be to thyself, and the gifts of thy house give to another: but the writing I will read to thee, O king, and shew thee the interpretation thereof.

5:18. O king, the most high G.o.d gave to Nabuchodonosor, thy father, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour.

5:19. 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.

5:20. 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.

5:21. And he was driven out from the the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild a.s.ses, and he did eat gra.s.s 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.

5:22. Thou also, his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thy heart, whereas thou knewest all these things:

5:23. But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy n.o.bles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the G.o.ds of silver, and of gold, and of bra.s.s, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the G.o.d who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.

5:24. Wherefore, he hath sent the part of the hand which hath written this that is set down.

5:25. And this is the writing that is written: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.

5:26. And this is the interpretation of the word. MANE: G.o.d hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.

5:27. THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.

5:28. PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.

5:29. 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.

5:30. The same night Baltasar, the Chaldean king, was slain.

5:31. And Darius, the Mede, succeeded to the kingdom, being threescore and two years old.

Darius... He is called Cyaxares by the historians; and was the son of Astyages, and uncle to Cyrus.

Daniel Chapter 6

Daniel is promoted by Darius: his enemies procure a law forbidding prayer; for the transgression of this law Daniel is cast into the lions'

den: but miraculously delivered.

6:1. It seemed good to Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom a hundred and twenty governors, to be over his whole kingdom.

6:2. And three princes over them of whom Daniel was one: that the governors might give an account to them, and the king might have no trouble.

6:3. And Daniel excelled all the princes, and governors: because a greater spirit of G.o.d was in him.

6:4. And the king thought to set him over all the kingdom; whereupon the princes, and the governors, sought to find occasion against Daniel, with regard to the king: and they could find no cause, nor suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him.

6:5. Then these men said: We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless perhaps concerning the law of his G.o.d.

6:6. Then the princes, and the governors, craftily suggested to the king, and spoke thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever: