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.