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.