1
Belshazzar the king made a great◦ feast◦ for a thousand of his magnates, and drank wine in front··of◦ the thousand.
2
Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, ordered to bring the gold and the silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought··out from the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king, and his magnates, his wives, and his concubines◦, might drink with them.
3
Then they brought the golden vessels that were brought··out from the temple of the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king, and his magnates, his wives, and his concubines◦, drank with them.
4
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5
In that hour came··out fingers of a hand of a man▵, and wrote in front··of◦ the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace◦ of the king; and the king saw the part▵ of the hand that wrote.
6
Then the countenance of the king was changed◦, and his concerns vexed him, so that the joints▫ of his hips were loosened◦, and his knees◦ knocked this▫ knee to that▫.
7
The king called with force to bring··in the diviners◦, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers*. The king answered and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whatever man▵ shall read this writing and show◦ me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain▵ of gold around▫ his neck, and shall be the third ruler◦ in the kingdom.
8
Then came··in all the wise men of the king; but they were· not ·able to read the writing, nor◦ to make known to the king its interpretation.
9
Then King Belshazzar was very vexed, and his countenance was changed◦ in him, and his magnates were astounded▫.
10
The queen, because··of the speaking▫ of the king and his magnates, went··into the house of the feast. The queen answered and said, O king, live for ages; let not thy concerns vex thee, nor let thy countenance be changed◦.
11
There··is a man▫ in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father, light and intelligence and wisdom, as the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar thy father—the king, thy father—raised· him ·up a great◦ one of the magicians, diviners◦, Chaldeans, and soothsayers*,
12
because an excellent◦ spirit, and knowledge, and intelligence, interpreting dreams, and showing◦ of riddles, and solving of doubts*, were found in him, in Daniel, on whom the king set the name of Belteshazzar; now let Daniel be called, and he will show◦ the interpretation.
13
Then Daniel was brought··in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, Art thou◦ that◦ Daniel, who art from the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out··of Judah?
14
And I have heard about▫ thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and intelligence and excellent◦ wisdom is found in thee.
15
And now the wise men and the diviners◦ have been brought··in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they were· not ·able to show◦ the interpretation of the thing.
16
And I◦ have heard about▫ thee, that thou art··able to interpret with interpretations, and to solve doubts, now if thou art··able to read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain▵ of gold around▫ thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler◦ in the kingdom.
17
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be for thyself, and give▵ thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18
O thou◦ king, the Most··High God gave▵ Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty◦, and glory, and honor;
19
and from the majesty◦ that He gave▵ him, all peoples, nations◦, and tongues, were trembling▵ and fearful before him; whom he was desiring to, he was killing◦; and whom he was desiring to, he was keeping··alive; and whom he was desiring to, he was exalting; and whom he was desiring to, he was making··low.
20
But as his heart was exalted, and his spirit sought··authority to become··presumptuous, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they caused his glory to pass··away from him;
21
and he was driven··out from the sons of men◦; and his heart was made··like the animals, and his dwelling◦ was with▵ the wild··asses◦; they fed* him with▵ grass as oxen, and his body was tinged with the dew of the heavens, until he knew that the Most··High God had··dominion in the kingdom of men◦, and that He sets··up over it whomever He desires.
22
And thou◦ his son◦, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled* thy heart, though thou knewest all this,
23
but hast exalted thyself against the Lord◦ of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of His house before thee, and thou◦, and thy magnates, thy wives, and thy concubines◦, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy paths, thou hast not honored.
24
Then was the part▵ of the hand sent from before Him, and this was the writing inscribed.
25
And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.
26
This is the interpretation of the thing. Mene: God has counted thy kingdom, and finished it.
27
Tekel: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28
Peres: Thy kingdom is divided◦, and given▵ to the Medes and Persia.
29
Then Belshazzar ordered, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain▵ of gold around▫ his neck, and proclaimed concerning him, that he should be the third ruler◦ in the kingdom.
30
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans killed◦.
31
6:1* And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, as a son◦ of two and sixty years.
