Daniel 5

¹Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.

²Belshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.

³Then they took in the gold and silver vessels which had been in the Temple of the house of God at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, took wine from them.

⁴They took their wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, of brass and iron and wood and stone.

⁵In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand were seen, writing opposite the support for the light on the white wall of the king's house, and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.

⁶Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.

⁷The king, crying out with a loud voice, said that the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs, were to be sent for. The king made answer and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever is able to make out this writing, and make clear to me the sense of it, will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold round his neck, and will be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

⁸Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.

⁹Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.

¹⁰The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the house of the feast: the queen made answer and said, O King, have life for ever; do not be troubled by your thoughts or let the colour go from your face:

¹¹There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;

¹²Because a most special spirit, and knowledge and reason and the power of reading dreams and unfolding dark sayings and answering hard questions, were seen to be in him, even in Daniel (named Belteshazzar by the king): now let Daniel be sent for, and he will make clear the sense of the writing.

¹³Then they took Daniel in before the king; the king made answer and said to Daniel, So you are that Daniel, of the prisoners of Judah, whom my father took out of Judah.

¹⁴And I have had news of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and reason and special wisdom have been seen in you.

¹⁵And now the wise men, the users of secret arts, have been sent in before me for the purpose of reading this writing and making clear to me the sense of it: but they are not able to make clear the sense of the thing:

¹⁶And I have had news of you, that you have the power of making things clear, and of answering hard questions: now if you are able to make out the writing and give me the sense of it, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain round your neck and be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

¹⁷Then Daniel made answer and said to the king, Keep your offerings for yourself, and give your rewards to another; but I, after reading the writing to the king, will give him the sense of it.

¹⁸As for you, O King, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the kingdom and great power and glory and honour:

¹⁹And because of the great power he gave him, all peoples and nations and languages were shaking in fear before him: some he put to death and others he kept living, at his pleasure, lifting up some and putting others down as it pleased him.

²⁰But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hard with pride, he was put down from his place as king, and they took his glory from him:

²¹And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.

²²And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this;

²³But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;

²⁴Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.

²⁵And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres.

²⁶This is the sense of the words: Mene; your kingdom has been numbered by God and ended.

²⁷Tekel; you have been put in the scales and seen to be under weight.

²⁸Peres; your kingdom has been cut up and given to the Medes and Persians.

²⁹Then, by the order of Belshazzar, they put a purple robe on Daniel, and a gold chain round his neck, and a public statement was made that he was to be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

³⁰That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldaeans, was put to death.

³¹And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being then about sixty-two years old.

Daniel 5

¹Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

²Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.

³Then 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 lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.

⁴They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

⁶Then the king's face was turned pale, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs gave way, and his knees began knocking together.

⁷The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

⁸Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.

⁹Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

¹⁰Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, "O king, live forever; do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.

¹¹There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners;

¹²because an extraordinary spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and explaining riddles, and solving problems, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

¹³Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel, who are of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

¹⁴I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.

¹⁵Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.

¹⁶But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

¹⁷Then Daniel answered before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to another;. Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

¹⁸You king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.

¹⁹And because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.

²⁰But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was removed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.

²¹And he was driven from the sons of men, and his mind was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he wants.

²²You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

²³but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.

²⁴Then was the part of the hand sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

²⁵This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

²⁶This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end;

²⁷TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

²⁸PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

²⁹Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

³¹Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.