1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords , and drank wine before the thousand .
2 Belshazzar , whiles he tasted the wine , commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem ; that the king , and his princes , his wives , and his concubines , might drink therein.
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 princes , his wives , and his concubines , drank in 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 fingers of a man's hand , and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace : and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote .
6 Then the king's countenance was changed , and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed , and his knees smote one against another .
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers , the Chaldeans , and the soothsayers . And the king spake , and said to the wise men of Babylon , Whosoever shall read this writing , and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet , 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 thereof.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled , 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 banquet house : and the queen spake and said , O king , live for ever : let not thy thoughts trouble 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 understanding and wisdom , like the wisdom of the gods , was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father , the king , I say, thy father , made master of the magicians , astrologers , Chaldeans , and soothsayers ;
12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit , and knowledge , and understanding , interpreting of dreams , and shewing of hard sentences , and dissolving of doubts , were found in the same Daniel , whom the king named Belteshazzar : now let Daniel be called , and he will shew the interpretation .
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king . And the king spake and said unto Daniel , Art thou that Daniel , which art of the children of the captivity of Judah , whom the king my father brought out of Jewry ?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee , and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers , have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing , and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing :
16 And I have heard of thee , that thou canst make interpretations , and dissolve doubts : now if thou canst read the writing , and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet , and have a chain of gold about thy neck , and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom .
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king , Let thy gifts be 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 thou king , the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom , and majesty , and glory , and honour :
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people , nations , and languages , trembled and feared before him : 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 mind hardened in pride , 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 beasts , and his dwelling was with the wild asses : they fed him with grass like oxen , and his body was wet with the dew of heaven ; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men , and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will .
22 And thou his son , O Belshazzar , hast not humbled thine heart , though thou knewest all this ;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou , and thy lords , thy wives , and thy concubines , have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver , and gold , of brass , 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 ways , hast thou not glorified :
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him ; and this writing was written .
25 And this is the writing that was written , MENE , MENE , TEKEL , UPHARSIN .
26 This is the interpretation of the thing : MENE ; God hath numbered 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 Persians .
29 Then commanded Belshazzar , and they clothed Daniel with scarlet , 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 .
