1Beltshatsar the King made a great supper for a thousand of his Princes, and in the presence of the thousand he was drinking wine 2And Beltshatsar said, while tasting his wine, to bring the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebukadnetsar his father had brought forth from the temple of God that is in Jerusalem, that the King and his Princes and his wives and his concubines would drink with them 3Then they brought the vessels of gold he had brought forth from the temple of God that is in Jerusalem, and the King and his Princes and his wives and his concubines drank with them 4They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver and of brass and of iron and of wood and of stone

5And at that moment, the fingers of the hand of a man came out and they wrote next to a lamp on the plaster of the wall in the palace of the King, and the King saw the palm of the hand of the man who wrote 6Then the King’s cheerfulness changed and his mind was troubled, and the joints of his loins were loosened and his knees knocked together 7And the King cried out loudly and he said to bring the Enchanters and the Chaldeans and the Magi and the Wise Men. The King answered and said to the Wise Men of Babel: “Any person who will read this writing and will show me its translation shall wear purple and a necklace of gold on his neck, and he shall rule a third of the Kingdom!” 8Then the Wise Men of the King were entering, and they were unable to read the writing and to make its translation known to the King 9Then King Beltshatsar was greatly troubled and his brightness of face was changed and his Princes were confounded

10And the Queen, because of the words of the King and his Princes, she entered the house of the feast and she answered and said to the King: “King, live to eternity. Let not thoughts trouble you and let not your cheerfulness 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 abundant wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him, and King Nebukadnetsar your father appointed him the Master of Sorcerers and Enchanters and the Magi and the Chaldeans 12Because the Spirit and knowledge and superabundant understanding were found in him, he interpreted our dreams and he seized the empire and he solved enigmas Daniel whom the King named Beltshatsar; therefore let Daniel be called and he will show the interpretation”

13Then Daniel came in before the King. The King answered and he said to Daniel, ‘Are you Daniel from the children of the captivity of Judea whom my Father the King brought from Judea? 14I have heard about you that the Spirit of the holy gods is in you, and light and understanding and abundant wisdom is found in you 15And the Sorcerer Enchanters entered before me that they would read this writing and would show me its interpretation, and they were unable to make known the interpretation of the words to me 16And I heard about you that you surely can interpret and solve enigmas. If you are able to read this writing and to make known its interpretation to me, you shall wear the purple and a necklace of gold on your neck, and you shall rule a third in the Kingdom!”

17Then Daniel answered and said to the King: “Your gifts shall be for you and give the honor of your house to others, however, I shall read the writing to the King and I shall show him its translation 18You, oh, King, God Most High gave the Kingdom, and greatness and honor and glory to Nebukadnetsar, your father 19And from the greatness that he had given to him, all the nations and peoples and languages were shaken and afraid before him. He killed those whom he wished, and those whom he wished he let live, and whom he wished, he exalted, and whom he wished, he put down 20And when his heart was lifted up and his spirit prevailed to exalt itself, he fell from the throne of his kingdom and his glory passed from him 21And he was chased from the children of men and his heart was equal with that of animals, and his dwelling was with wild donkeys and they fed him grass like an ox, and his body was made wet from the dew of heaven until his hair grew like that of an eagle, and his nails as those of a bird, until he knew that God Most High is authorized in the kingdom of man, and he will give it to one whom he pleases, and he will raise up the lowest of men over it 22And you, his son, Beltshatsar, you have not humbled your heart while you have known all these things 23And you have exalted yourself against THE LORD of Heaven and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your Princes and you caused your wives and your Concubines to drink wine in them, and you praised gods of gold and of silver and of brass and of iron and of wood and of stone that do not see and do not hear and do not know, and the God in whose hands is your breath and with whom are all your ways, you have not praised and you have not honored 24Then from his presence was sent the palm of a hand

25And this writing was inscribed and this is the inscription that was inscribed: ’Meneh meneh teqal oufarseen’ 26This is the interpretation of the word : ‘Meneh’ ‘God has assessed your kingdom and has finished it’ 27‘Teqel’ ‘You are weighed in a balance and you are found lacking’ 28‘Peras’ ‘Your kingdom is divided and is given to Media and to Persia’”

29Then King Beltshatsar spoke and they clothed Daniel in purple and a necklace of gold on his neck, and they proclaimed concerning him that he would be Ruler of a third of the kingdom

30In that night Beltshatsar, the Chaldean King, was killed 31And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, as a son of sixty and two years