但以理書5:24-31

5:24 因此從上帝那裡顯出指頭來寫這文字。

5:25 「所寫的文字是：『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。』

5:26 講解是這樣：彌尼，就是上帝已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。

5:27 提客勒，就是你被稱在天平裡，顯出你的虧欠。

5:28 毘勒斯（與烏法珥新同義），就是你的國分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。」

5:29 伯沙撒下令，人就把紫袍給但以理穿上，把金鍊給他戴在頸項上，又傳令使他在國中位列第三。

5:30 當夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被殺。

5:31 瑪代人大利烏年六十二歲，取了迦勒底國。

24 "Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed:Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter:Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

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

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty- two years old.

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    牆上文字的內容表示上帝已經準備把巴比倫國分裂歸與瑪代人和波斯人。當夜，這個文字的內容就應驗了，瑪代人大利烏取了迦勒底國。

    「彌尼，提客勒，法珥新」，這三個字都是古亞蘭文，都是貨幣或重量單位。「彌尼」同「彌拿」(結 45:12)，大約是相當於50到60個舍客勒。以分詞意義來解釋就是「數算」。所以但以理說：「上帝已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。」

    「提客勒」同「舍客勒」。以其動詞意義來解釋就是「評估」、「稱重量」。所以但以理說：「你被稱在天平裡，顯出你的虧欠。」

 

    「毗勒斯」就是「法珥新」的單數，動詞意義是「共有」或「分裂」。所以但以理說：「你的國分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。」

    雖然但以理講這些預言巴比倫滅亡的話，伯沙撒還是照承諾獎賞但以理，但以理似乎也顧及王的情面接受了獎賞。不過我們可以想像當場聽見這個講解的文武百官當時的心情，恐怕一個士氣提振大會變成等死大會了。不過，當晚波斯人就攻進來了，這講解對巴比倫的命運影響也不大。

但以理書5:17-23

5:17 但以理在王面前回答說：「你的贈品可以歸你自己，你的賞賜可以歸給別人；我卻要為王讀這文字，把講解告訴王。

5:18 王啊，至高的上帝曾將國位、大權、榮耀、威嚴賜與你父尼布甲尼撒；

5:19 因上帝所賜他的大權，各方、各國、各族的人都在他面前戰兢恐懼。他可以隨意生殺，隨意升降。

5:20 但他心高氣傲，靈也剛愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，奪去榮耀。

5:21 他被趕出離開世人，他的心變如獸心，與野驢同居，吃草如牛，身被天露滴濕，等他知道至高的上帝在人的國中掌權，憑自己的意旨立人治國。

5:22 伯沙撒啊，你是他的兒子（或譯：孫子），你雖知道這一切，你心仍不自卑，

5:23 竟向天上的主自高，使人將他殿中的器皿拿到你面前，你和大臣、皇后、妃嬪用這器皿飲酒。你又讚美那不能看、不能聽、無知無識、金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神，卻沒有將榮耀歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切行動的上帝。

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

*********

     但以理陳明這些字出現的原因是因為伯沙撒王即使有尼布甲尼撒被懲罰的前車之鑑，還是驕傲自大，甚至用聖殿的器皿喝酒並讚美偶像。由「經驗中學習」，似乎是一件很困難的事，人們不斷重複犯一樣的錯。我們自己是否也有這種問題呢？

    所以，我們需要靠上帝的話語來顯明自己的問題，透過聖靈的引導，不斷的悔改與更新，我們才能達到完美的地步！也因為如此，我們需要上帝的恩典來陶冶與建造，使我們可以真正的完全與成熟。

    故此，伯沙撒王即使明白牆上的文字已無意義了！這也告訴我們，有時候我們要追求一些奧秘的事，卻沒有注意到上帝明顯的啟示，那也是沒有益處的，倒不如在主所託付明顯的是努力，才能真正討主喜悅，蒙祂賜福！

但以理書5:10-16

5:10 太后（或譯：皇后；下同）因王和他大臣所說的話，就進入宴宮，說：「願王萬歲！你心意不要驚惶，臉面不要變色。

5:11 在你國中有一人，他裡頭有聖神的靈，你父在世的日子，這人心中光明，又有聰明智慧，好像神的智慧。你父尼布甲尼撒王，就是王的父，立他為術士、用法術的，和迦勒底人，並觀兆的領袖。

5:12 在他裡頭有美好的靈性，又有知識聰明，能圓夢，釋謎語，解疑惑。這人名叫但以理，尼布甲尼撒王又稱他為伯提沙撒，現在可以召他來，他必解明這意思。」

5:13 但以理就被領到王前。王問但以理說：「你是被擄之猶大人中的但以理嗎？就是我父王從猶大擄來的嗎？

5:14 我聽說你裡頭有神的靈，心中光明，又有聰明和美好的智慧。

5:15 現在哲士和用法術的都領到我面前，為叫他們讀這文字，把講解告訴我，無奈他們都不能把講解說出來。

5:16 我聽說你善於講解，能解疑惑；現在你若能讀這文字，把講解告訴我，就必身穿紫袍，項戴金鍊，在我國中位列第三。」

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king— made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

***********

    「太后」是伯沙撒的祖母、拿波尼度王的母親死於拿波尼度第九年，因此不太可能出現在此處，比較可能是拿波尼度的妻子，也就是伯沙撒的母親。此人相傳是尼布甲尼撒的女兒「李道葵斯」。也因此她的地位崇高，可以在宮中自由來去。

    但以理為何不在一開始邀宴的名單中，原因不詳。很可能但以理當時已經太老而退休了，或者因為他是尼布甲尼撒的顧問，後來的巴比倫王就不重用他了。甚至不看重他，從說話的語氣可以得知。

    這一再顯示伯沙撒王的敗亡是應該的，是上帝已經訂下的心意，祂已經對巴比倫進行祂要進行的審判了！

但以理書5章

     但以理書5:1-9  ,

    但以理書5:10-16  ,

     但以理書5:17-23   ,

     但以理書5:24-31 ,

     但以理書5:27  ,  但以理書5:27  , 

但以理書5:1-9

5:1 伯沙撒王為他的一千大臣設擺盛筵，與這一千人對面飲酒。

5:2 伯沙撒歡飲之間，吩咐人將他父（或譯：祖；下同）尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金銀器皿拿來，王與大臣、皇后、妃嬪好用這器皿飲酒。

5:3 於是他們把耶路撒冷上帝殿庫房中所掠的金器皿拿來，王和大臣、皇后、妃嬪就用這器皿飲酒。

5:4 他們飲酒，讚美金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神。

5:5 當時，忽有人的指頭顯出，在王宮與燈臺相對的粉牆上寫字。王看見寫字的指頭

5:6 就變了臉色，心意驚惶，腰骨好像脫節，雙膝彼此相碰，

5:7 大聲吩咐將用法術的和迦勒底人並觀兆的領進來，對巴比倫的哲士說，誰能讀這文字，把講解告訴我，他必身穿紫袍，項帶金鍊，在我國中位列第三。

5:8 於是王的一切哲士都進來，卻不能讀那文字，也不能把講解告訴王。

5:9 伯沙撒王就甚驚惶，臉色改變，他的大臣也都驚奇。

1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in 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 silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

***********

    伯沙撒王擺設筵席，用耶路撒冷聖殿的器皿飲酒，結果有指頭出現在牆上寫字，使得國王驚惶。這個事件發生的年代大約在拿波尼度王第17年，西元前539或538年10月，但以理應該已經八十歲左右了。此處距離第四章末尾記載的事件，已經過了三十年。在那之前幾日，波斯大軍才經過血戰後，攻下位於巴比倫北方八十公里的奧皮斯城。接著渡過幼發拉底河，西帕爾城不戰而降。拿波尼度在奧皮斯之役，城陷時逃走。後來是在巴比倫以南二十七公里處被俘。

「伯沙撒」的字義是「願『彼勒』（一個神名）保護皇帝」。是當時巴比倫王拿波尼度的兒子，因為拿波尼度長年留在他瑪城，西元前 550年任命伯沙撒攝政。瑪代波斯大軍攻陷巴比倫時，伯沙撒被殺。

其實，當時波斯軍隊已經進逼巴比倫城，舉行宴會只是想團結人心，做最後的抵抗。在這種情況下又看到奇怪的手寫字，巴比倫王的驚訝、害怕並不難令人想像。大概也就是在這種鼓勵自己與軍民的士氣宴會中，為要表現自己的國力還很強，才會做出平常不會做的貶低其他國家祭器行為來。

從這裡在一次讓我們看見，人不可以高抬自己高於上帝，竊取上帝的榮耀，這樣的下場是很可怕的！伯沙撒王的無知帶來自己的敗亡，同樣服事上帝的人更是要防止將榮耀歸給自己，一切都是上帝的榮耀！