"God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it."--_Daniel 5:6._
AFTER Nebuchadnezzar, some troublesome times began at Babylon; but
at last his grandson Belshazzar was reigning. He was a foolish,
self-pleasing young man; and his enemies, the great nation of Medes
and Persians, came to make war on him, but still he did not care for
anything but his amusement.
He thought Babylon so strong that they could never break in; and he
gave a great feast to all his lords, with fine meats and wines, and
he had all the gold and silver bowls, and the golden candlestick that
had been brought out of the Temple of God at Jerusalem, on the tables,
while he and his friends were drinking and singing and shouting.
All on a sudden a stillness came over them, and their eyes opened wide
with fright. For just over the candlestick there was seen a man's hand.
There was no body, only the hand; and the finger went along writing on
the wall, tracing out letters.
There were four words, but no one could read them or tell what they
meant.
The king was terribly frightened. His knees knocked together, and
he shook all over, and he called for some one to tell him what this
writing could be. Nobody could guess; but at last the queen, his
mother, came and put him in mind how Daniel had been able to explain
his father's dreams. So Daniel was sent for, and he at once read the
writing. He told them Belshazzar was found wanting. His kingdom was
going to be taken from him, and given to the Medes and Persians.
[Illustration: DANIEL INTERPRETING THE WRITING ON THE WALL.--Dan.
5:25-28.]
And even then, all the time the Babylonians were feasting and not
watching the enemy, Cyrus, the clever king of the Persians, was making
his men dig ditches, into which he turned all the water of the great
river that ran through the city; and that very night all his army came
in, walking up the dry bed of the stream. No one saw them till they
were in the city; and that very night Belshazzar was slain.