Daniel

5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast, to a thousand of his nobles,—and before the thousand was drinking wine.

2 Belshazzar gave word at the flavour of the wine to bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought forth out of the temple which was in Jerusalem,—that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink therein.

3 Then brought they the vessels of gold which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God which was in Jerusalem,—and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank therein:

4 they drank wine,—and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5 Immediately came forth the fingers of the hand of a man, and wrote over against the chandelier, upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king,—and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.

6 Then as for the king his bright looks changed in him, and his thoughts terrified him,—and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

7 The king began crying out amain, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers,—the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing and the interpretation thereof shall declare unto me, With purple shall he be clothed And have a chain of gold upon his neck And as the third in the kingdom shall he have dominion.

8 Then were coming in all the wise men of the king,—but the writing could they not read, nor the interpretation make known to the king.

9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified, and his bright looks were changed upon him,—and his nobles were perplexed.

10 The queen by reason of the words of the king and his nobles into the house of banqueting entered,—the queen spake and said, O king! for ages live! Let not thy thoughts terrify thee, and as for thy bright looks let them not 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 like the wisdom of the gods were found in him,—and King Nebuchadnezzar thy father appointed him chief of the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers—thy father, O king!

12 Forasmuch as a distinguished spirit and knowledge and intelligence, ability to interpret dreams and solve riddles and unravel knotty points were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar now let Daniel be called and the interpretation will he declare.

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king,—the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

14 Then I have heard concerning thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee,—and light and intelligence and distinguished wisdom are found in thee.

15 Now therefore have been brought in before me the wise men, the magicians, that this writing they might read and the interpretation thereof might make known unto me,—but they were not able the interpretation of the thing to declare.

16 I however have heard concerning thee, that thou art able interpretations to unfold and knotty points to unravel,—Now if thou be able the writing to read and the interpretation thereof to make known unto me with purple shalt thou be clothed and a chain of gold shalt thou have upon thy neck, and as the third in the kingdom shalt thou have dominion.

17 Then spake Daniel and said before the king, As for thy gifts thine own let them remain And thy presents on another bestow,—Howbeit the writing will I read to the king, And the interpretation thereof will I make known to him.

18 As for thee O king the Most High God gave kingship and greatness and honour and majesty unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;

19 and for the greatness that he gave him all peoples, races and tongues used to tremble and to withdraw falteringly from 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 uplifted was his heart and his spirit became obstinate so as to act arrogantly he was put down from the throne of his kingdom and his dignity took they from him;

21 And from among the sons of men was he driven And his heart to a wild beast’s became equal And with the wild asses was his dwelling, And grass—like oxen they suffered him to eat, And with the dew of the heavens his body was drenched—until that he came to know that the Most High God hath dominion over the kingdom of men, and whomsoever he pleaseth he setteth up over it.

22 And yet thou his son O Belshazzar! hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou knewest;

23 but against the Lord of the heavens hast uplifted thyself and the vessels of his house have they brought before thee, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines have been drinking wine therein, and gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone which see not nor hear nor know hast thou praised,—whereas God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him hast thou not glorified.

24 Then was there put forth from before him the part of the hand,—and this writing was inscribed:

25 And this is the writing which was inscribed, M’nê, M’nê, T’kêl u-Pharsin.

26 This is the interpretation of the thing,—M’nê [“Reckoned-up”], God hath reckoned up thy reign and ended it:

27 T’kêl [“Weighed”],—thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting;

28 P’rês [“Snatched-away”],—snatched away is thy kingdom, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 Then Belshazzar gave word that they should clothe Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold upon his neck,—and should make a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler over the kingdom.

30 In that night was slain—Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans.

31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom,—when about sixty-two years of age.