Page 295 - Bible History

268 GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE IN CAPTIVITY
and invited a thousand of his nobles. They feasted throughout the night and the king commanded his servants to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nabuchodonosor had stolen from the Temple in Jeru­ salem, in order that all might drink from them.
The sacred vessels were brought into the banquet hall and lled with wine. Then the king and all his guests drank from them in honor of their false gods.
Suddenly a hand appeared on the wall and began to write. When the king saw this, he became terribly frightened. In vain did he try to read the words that were written; he could not make them out. He sent for his wise-men and his soothsayers, and promised that whoever would read the writing and interpret it for him should be clothed with purple and have a golden chain on his neck, and should be made the third man in the kingdom. But the wise-men and the sooth­ sayers could not read the writing nor tell what it
meant.
The king became more and more frightened. His
guests, too, were greatly troubled. Then the queen advised Baltassar to send for Daniel.
Daniel was brought to the banquet room, and the king said to him, "I have heard of thee and that thou canst interpret obscure things and solve di cult problems. Now, if thou art able to read the writing and show me the meaning of it, thou shalt be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold about thy neck and be the third prince of my kingdom.'' To this Daniel made answer, ''I do not want thy rewards, and