Chapter 87
1 And the king, seeing them and becoming afraid and gripped by great trembling, cried out mightily to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans, the soothsayers—not understanding that it was not permitted to these to read the letters of God, but to those who from childhood had practiced the law of God and had come to know the divine letters from their fathers.
2 So when all had been summoned, the king said to them: Whoever shall read this writing and make known to me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, and the golden chain shall be upon his neck, and he shall rule as third in my kingdom. And all the king’s wise men came forward, but they could not read the writing, nor make known its interpretation to the king.
3 For how many of the Babylonians then, contriving by many devices, wished to fashion some strange utterance to please the king, and to be clothed in purple, and to be glorified upon the third throne? But the matter was hidden from them. For their eyes were dimmed and the thoughts of their heart were maimed; for the Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.
4 So when all of them begged off, the king’s heart was troubled and his countenance was changed, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.
5 Then indeed the queen, hearing what had happened, entered the banquet hall and said to the king: Let not your thoughts trouble you, and let not your countenance be changed. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of God, and in the days of your father wakefulness and understanding were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him ruler of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, soothsayers—because an extraordinary Spirit of God was in him, and prudence and understanding, interpreting dreams and declaring hidden things and loosing knots—namely Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belshazzar. Now therefore let him be summoned, and he will declare to you the interpretation.