27. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, --R.V.-- and _put_ a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, _being_ about threescore and two years old. --After Cyrus entered Babylon and pacified its inhabitants he started on other expeditions and temporarily placed on the throne his uncle Cyaxares, king of the Medes, who was known as Darius among his new subjects, a name less liable to be confused with that of his illustrious nephew. It is a well known fact, that expediency often determines the choice of an official name for the sovereign. Thus the present king of England might have been known as Albert I, instead of Edward VII. For full explanation see NOTE A. CHAPTER VI. [SYRIAC.] [Sidenote: B.C. 538.] 1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2. And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel _was_ first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit _was_ in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. [Sidenote: B.C. 537.] 4. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he _was_ faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find _it_ against him concerning the law of his God. 6. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. 7. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 9. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.