Belshazzar the king
made
a great
feast
to a thousand
of his lords
, and drank
wine
before
the thousand
.
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.
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.
They drank wine
, and praised
the gods
of gold
, and of silver
, of brass
, of iron
, of wood
, and of stone
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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.
Then was king
Belshazzar
greatly
troubled
, and his countenance
was changed
in him
, and his lords
were astonied
.
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
:
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
;
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
.
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
?
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.
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
:
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
.
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
.
O thou king
, the most high
God
gave
Nebuchadnezzar
thy father
a kingdom
, and majesty
, and glory
, and honour
:
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
.
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
:
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
.
And thou his son
, O Belshazzar
, hast not
humbled
thine heart
, though
thou knewest
all
this
;
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
:
Then was the part
of the hand
sent
from
him
; and this
writing
was written
.
And this is the writing
that was written
, MENE
, MENE
, TEKEL
, UPHARSIN
.
This is the interpretation
of the thing
: MENE
; God
hath numbered
thy kingdom
, and finished
it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed
in the balances
, and art found
wanting
.
PERES; Thy kingdom
is divided
, and given
to the Medes
and Persians
.
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
.
In that night was Belshazzar
the king
of the Chaldeans
slain
.
And Darius the Median
took
the kingdom
, being about threescore
and two
years
old
.