Belshazzar’s Feast

1Belshazzar the king made great food for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he drank wine. 2Belshazzar said, in tasting the wine, to bring in for the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father brought forth from the temple that was in Jerusalem; and in them the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, will drink. 3At that time they brought the vessels of gold that were brought forth from the temple of the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and in them they drank, the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines. 4They drank wine, and praised to the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

5In the same moment went forth fingers of a man's hand and wrote before the candlestick upon the lime of the wall of the temple of the king: and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote. 6The king's brightnesses changing, and his thoughts will terrify him, and the knots of his loins breaking forth, and his knees knocked this upon that. 7The king called with strength to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king answered and said to the wise of Babel, Whatever man that shall read this writing, and will show to me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and a necklace of gold upon his neck, and shall rule the third in the kingdom. 8Then came in all the king's wise ones: and they were not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king. 9Then king Belshazzar being greatly terrified, and his brightnesses being changed upon him, and his nobles being perplexed.

10The queen, on account of the king's words and his nobles', came in to the house of drinking: the queen answered and said, O king, live forever: thy thought shall not terrify thee, and thy brightnesses shall not be changed: 11There is a man in thy kingdom that the spirit of the holy gods in him; and in the days of thy father, his light and his understanding and wisdom according to the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king thy father, set him up leader of the sacred scribes, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, the diviners: 12Because that an excellent spirit and knowledge, and his understanding interpreting dreams, and showing of enigmas, and solving knotty questions, was found in him, in Daniel whom the king set his name Belteshazzar: now Daniel shall be called, and he will show the interpretation.

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13At that time Daniel came in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, Is it thou, Daniel, which is from the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah? 14I heard concerning thee that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and his light and his understanding and excellent wisdom was found in thee. 15And now the wise ones, the enchanters, were brought in before me that they shall read this writing, and to make known to me its interpretation: and they were not able to show the interpretation of the word: 16And I heard concerning thee, that thou wilt be able to interpret interpretations, and solve knotty questions: now if thou shalt be able to read the writing, and to make known to me its interpretation, thou shalt be clothed in purple, and a necklace of gold upon thy neck, and thou shalt rule the third in the kingdom.

17At that time Daniel answered and said before the king, Thy gifts to be to thyself, and give thy presents to another; but I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18Thou, O king, God most high gave a kingdom and greatness and honor and splendor to Nebuchadnezzar thy father: 19And from the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, nations and tongues, were trembling and fearing from before him: whom he was willing he killed; and whom he was willing, he was saving alive; and whom be was willing, he was setting up; and whom he willed he was humbling. 20And when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was strong for pride, he was brought down from the throne of his kingdom, and they took away his honor from him. 21And he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made level with the beasts, and with wild asses his dwelling: they will feed him with the green herb as oxen, and from the dew of the heavens his body will be wet; till that he knew that God the Most High ruled in the kingdom of men, and to whom he will, he will set up over it. 22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, didst not humble thy heart because that thou knewest all this; 23And against the Lord of the heavens thou didst lift up thyself; and for the vessels of his house they brought before thee, and thou and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, drinking wine in them; and to the gods of silver and gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, who see not, and hear not, and know not, thou didst praise: and to the God whom thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways to him, thou didst not honor. 24At that time from before him was sent the palm of the hand, and this writing written.

25And this the writing that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL and PHARSIN. 26This the interpretation of the word: Mene; God numbered thy kingdom and completed it. 27Tekel; Thou shalt be weighed in the balances and be found wanting. 28Pharsin; Thy kingdom was divided, and it shall be given to the Medes and to Persia.

29At that time Belshazzar said, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and a necklace of gold upon his neck, and they cried out concerning him, for him to rule the third in the kingdom.

30In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was killed. 31And Darius the Median received the kingdom, as the son of two and sixty years.