1Belshazzar the kingmade a greatfeast to a thousand of his lords, and drankwinebefore the thousand.
2Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silvervessels which his fatherNebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3Then they brought the goldenvessels that were taken out of the templeof the houseofGod which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4
They drankwine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5
In the same hour came forthfingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestickupon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the kingsaw the part of the hand that wrote.
6Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughtstroubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his kneessmoteone against another.
7
The kingcriedaloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the kingspake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall readthiswriting, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of goldabout his neck, and shall be the thirdruler in the kingdom.
8Thencame in all the king's wise men: but they couldnotread the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9Then was kingBelshazzargreatlytroubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10
Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquethouse: and the queenspake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughtstrouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holygods; and in the days of thy fatherlight and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the kingNebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, mademaster of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12
Forasmuch as an excellentspirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the kingnamedBelteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13Then was Danielbroughtinbefore the king. And the kingspake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the childrenof the captivityofJudah, whom the king my fatherbrought out ofJewry?
14
I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellentwisdom is found in thee.
15
And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should readthiswriting, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they couldnotshew the interpretation of the thing:
16
And I have heard of thee, that thou canstmakeinterpretations, and dissolvedoubts: nowif thou canstread the writing, and makeknown to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of goldabout thy neck, and shalt be the thirdruler in the kingdom.
17ThenDanielanswered and saidbefore the king, Let thy giftsbe to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18
O thouking, the most highGodgaveNebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19
And for the majesty that he gavehim, allpeople, nations, and languages, trembled and fearedbeforehim: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mindhardened in pride, he was deposedfrom his kinglythrone, and they took his gloryfromhim:
21
And he was drivenfrom the sons of men; and his heart was madelike the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grasslikeoxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most highGodruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointethover it whomsoever he will.
22
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast nothumbled thine heart, thoughthouknewestallthis;
23
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his housebefore thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunkwine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which seenot, norhear, norknow: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thounotglorified:
24Then was the part of the handsentfromhim; and thiswriting was written.
25
And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art foundwanting.
28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29ThencommandedBelshazzar, and they clothedDaniel with scarlet, and put a chain of goldabout his neck, and made a proclamationconcerning him, that he should be the thirdruler in the kingdom.
30
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeansslain.
31
And Darius the Mediantook the kingdom, being about threescore and twoyearsold.