Belshazzar the king
1held
a great
afeast
for a thousand
of his nobles
, and he was drinking
wine
in the presence
of the thousand
.
When Belshazzar tasted
the wine
, he gave
orders
to bring
the gold
and silver
avessels
which
Nebuchadnezzar
his 1father
had taken
out of the temple
which
was in Jerusalem
, so that the king
and his nobles
, his wives
and his concubines
might drink
from them.
Then they brought
the gold
vessels
that had been taken
out of the temple
, the house
of God
which
was in Jerusalem
; and the king
and his nobles
, his wives
and his concubines
drank
from them.
They adrank the wine
and praised
the gods
of bgold
and silver
, of bronze
, iron
, wood
and stone
.
Suddenly the fingers
of a man's
hand
emerged
and began writing
opposite
the lampstand
on the plaster
of the wall
of the king's
palace
, and the king
saw
the 1back
of the hand
that did the writing
.
Then the king's
1 aface
grew
pale
and his thoughts
alarmed
him, and his bhip
joints
went
slack
and his cknees
began knocking
together
.
The king called
aloud
to bring
in the aconjurers
, the 1Chaldeans
and the diviners
. The king
spoke
and said
to the wise
men
of Babylon
, "Any
man
who
can read
this
inscription
and explain
its interpretation
to me shall be bclothed
with purple
and have a cnecklace
of gold
around
his neck
, and have
authority
as 2 dthird
ruler in the kingdom
."
Then all
the king's
wise
men
came
in, but athey could
not read
the inscription
or make
known
its interpretation
to the king
.
Then King
Belshazzar
was greatly
aalarmed
, his 1 bface
grew
even paler
, and his nobles
were perplexed
.
The queen entered
the banquet
1hall
because
of the words
of the king
and his nobles
; the queen
spoke
and said
, " aO king
, live
forever
! Do not let your thoughts
alarm
you or your 2face
be pale
.
"There is a aman
in your kingdom
in whom
is 1a bspirit
of the holy
gods
; and in the days
of your father
, illumination
, insight
and wisdom
like the wisdom
of the gods
were found
in him. And King
Nebuchadnezzar
, your father
, your father
2 cthe king
, appointed
him chief
of the 3magicians
, conjurers
, 4Chaldeans
and diviners
.
"This was because an aextraordinary
spirit
, knowledge
and insight
, interpretation
of dreams
, explanation
of enigmas
and solving
of difficult
problems
were found
in this Daniel
, whom
the king
named
bBelteshazzar
. Let Daniel
now
be summoned
and he will declare
the interpretation
."
Then Daniel
was brought
in before
the king
. The king
spoke
and said
to Daniel
, "Are you that Daniel
who
is one of the 1 aexiles
from Judah
, whom
my father
the king
bbrought
from Judah
?
"Now I have heard about
you that 1a spirit
of the gods
is in you, and that illumination
, insight
and extraordinary
wisdom
have been found
in you.
"Just now the awise
men
and the conjurers
were brought
in before
me that they might read
this
inscription
and make
its interpretation
known
to me, but they bcould
not declare
the interpretation
of the 1message
.
"But I personally have heard
about
you, that you are able
to give
interpretations
and solve
difficult
problems
. Now
if
you are able
to read
the inscription
and make
its ainterpretation
known
to me, you will be bclothed
with purple
and wear a necklace
of gold
around
your neck
, and you will have
authority
as the 1third
ruler in the kingdom
."
Then Daniel
answered
and said
before
the king
, " 1Keep your agifts
for yourself or give
your rewards
to someone
else
; however
, I will read
the inscription
to the king
and make
the interpretation
known
to him.
" 1O king, the aMost
High
God
bgranted
2sovereignty
, cgrandeur
, glory
and majesty
to Nebuchadnezzar
your father
.
"Because of the grandeur
which
He bestowed
on him, all
the peoples
, nations
and men of every 1language
feared
and trembled
before
him; awhomever
he wished
he killed
and whomever
he wished
he spared
alive
; and whomever
he wished
he elevated
and whomever
he wished
he humbled
.
"But when his heart
was alifted
up and his spirit
became
so 1 bproud
that he behaved
arrogantly
, he was cdeposed
from his royal
throne
and his glory
was taken
away
from him.
"He was also adriven away
from 1mankind
, and his heart
was made
like
that of beasts
, and his dwelling
place
was with the bwild
donkeys
. He was given
grass
to eat
like cattle
, and his body
was drenched
with the dew
of heaven
until
he recognized
that the cMost
High
God
is ruler
over the realm
of mankind
and that He sets
over
it whomever
He wishes
.
"Yet you, his 1son, Belshazzar
, have anot humbled
your heart
, 2even
though
you knew
all
this
,
but you have aexalted yourself against
the bLord
of heaven
; and they have brought
the vessels
of His house
before
you, and you and your nobles
, your wives
and your concubines
have been drinking
wine
from them; and you have praised
the cgods
of silver
and gold
, of bronze
, iron
, wood
and stone
, which
do not see
, hear
or understand
. But the God
din whose
hand
are your life-breath
and your eways
, you have not glorified
.
"Then the 1 ahand
was sent
from Him and this
inscription
was written
out.
"Now this is the inscription
that was written
out: ` 1MENE
, 1MENE
, 2TEKEL
, 3UPHARSIN
.'
"This is the interpretation
of the 1message
: `MENE
'--God
has numbered
your kingdom
and aput
an end
to it.
" `TEKEL'--you have been aweighed
on the scales
and found
deficient
.
" `PERES'--your kingdom
has been
divided
and given
over to the aMedes
and 1Persians
."
Then Belshazzar
gave
orders
, and they aclothed
Daniel
with purple
and put a necklace
of gold
around
his neck
, and issued
a proclamation
concerning
him that he now had
authority
as the 1third
ruler in the kingdom
.
That same night aBelshazzar
the Chaldean
king
was bslain
.
1So aDarius the Mede
received
the kingdom
at about the age
of sixty-two
.