¹ 伯沙撒王为他的一千大臣设摆盛筵，与这一千人对面饮酒。

² 伯沙撒欢饮之间，吩咐人将他父（或译：祖；下同）尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金银器皿拿来，王与大臣、皇后、妃嫔好用这器皿饮酒。

³ 於是他们把耶路撒冷神殿库房中所掠的金器皿拿来，王和大臣、皇后、妃嫔就用这器皿饮酒。

⁴ 他们饮酒，赞美金、银、铜、铁、木、石所造的神。

⁵ 当时，忽有人的指头显出，在王宫与灯台相对的粉墙上写字。王看见写字的指头

⁶ 就变了脸色，心意惊惶，腰骨好像脱节，双膝彼此相碰，

⁷ 大声吩咐将用法术的和迦勒底人并观兆的领进来，对巴比伦的哲士说，谁能读这文字，把讲解告诉我，他必身穿紫袍，项带金炼，在我国中位列第三。

⁸ 於是王的一切哲士都进来，却不能读那文字，也不能把讲解告诉王。

⁹ 伯沙撒王就甚惊惶，脸色改变，他的大臣也都惊奇。

¹⁰ 太后（或译：皇后；下同）因王和他大臣所说的话，就进入宴宫，说：愿王万岁！你心意不要惊惶，脸面不要变色。

¹¹ 在你国中有一人，他里头有圣神的灵，你父在世的日子，这人心中光明，又有聪明智慧，好像神的智慧。你父尼布甲尼撒王，就是王的父，立他为术士、用法术的，和迦勒底人，并观兆的领袖。

¹² 在他里头有美好的灵性，又有知识聪明，能圆梦，释谜语，解疑惑。这人名叫但以理，尼布甲尼撒王又称他为伯提沙撒，现在可以召他来，他必解明这意思。

¹³ 但以理就被领到王前。王问但以理说：你是被掳之犹大人中的但以理麽？就是我父王从犹大掳来的麽？

¹⁴ 我听说你里头有神的灵，心中光明，又有聪明和美好的智慧。

¹⁵ 现在哲士和用法术的都领到我面前，为叫他们读这文字，把讲解告诉我，无奈他们都不能把讲解说出来。

¹⁶ 我听说你善於讲解，能解疑惑；现在你若能读这文字，把讲解告诉我，就必身穿紫袍，项戴金炼，在我国中位列第三。

¹⁷ 但以理在王面前回答说：你的赠品可以归你自己，你的赏赐可以归给别人；我却要为王读这文字，把讲解告诉王。

¹⁸ 王啊，至高的神曾将国位、大权、荣耀、威严赐与你父尼布甲尼撒；

¹⁹ 因神所赐他的大权，各方、各国、各族的人都在他面前战兢恐惧。他可以随意生杀，随意升降。

²⁰ 但他心高气傲，灵也刚愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，夺去荣耀。

²¹ 他被赶出离开世人，他的心变如兽心，与野驴同居，吃草如牛，身被天露滴湿，等他知道至高的神在人的国中掌权，凭自己的意旨立人治国。

²² 伯沙撒啊，你是他的儿子（或译：孙子），你虽知道这一切，你心仍不自卑，

²³ 竟向天上的主自高，使人将他殿中的器皿拿到你面前，你和大臣、皇后、妃嫔用这器皿饮酒。你又赞美那不能看、不能听、无知无识、金、银、铜、铁、木、石所造的神，却没有将荣耀归与那手中有你气息，管理你一切行动的神。

²⁴ 因此从神那里显出指头来写这文字。

²⁵ 所写的文字是：弥尼，弥尼，提客勒，乌法珥新。

²⁶ 讲解是这样：弥尼，就是神已经数算你国的年日到此完毕。

²⁷ 提客勒，就是你被称在天平里，显出你的亏欠。

²⁸ 毗勒斯（与乌法珥新同义），就是你的国分裂，归与玛代人和波斯人。

²⁹ 伯沙撒下令，人就把紫袍给但以理穿上，把金炼给他戴在颈项上，又传令使他在国中位列第三。

³⁰ 当夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被杀。

³¹ 玛代人大利乌年六十二岁，取了迦勒底国。

¹ Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

² Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.

³ Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at 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 of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵ In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

⁶ Then the king's face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.

⁷ The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

⁸ Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

⁹ Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

¹⁰ [Now] the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever; don't let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.

¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, [I say], your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

¹² because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

¹³ Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel, who are of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of 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, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.

¹⁶ But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; 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 about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

¹⁸ You, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:

¹⁹ and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.

²⁰ But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

²¹ and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.

²² You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

²³ but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house 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 brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.

²⁴ Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

²⁵ This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end;

²⁷ TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

²⁸ PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

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

³⁰ In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

³¹ Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.