< Daniel 5 >

1 Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and [there was] wine before the thousand.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 And Baltasar drinking gave orders as he tasted the wine that they should bring the gold and silver vessels, which Nabuchodonosor his father had brought forth from the temple in Jerusalem; that the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, should drink out of them.
Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.
3 So the gold and silver vessels were brought which [Nabuchodonosor] had taken out of the temple of God in Jerusalem; and the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, drank out of them.
Then 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 princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote in front of the lamp on the plaster of the wall of the king's house: and the king saw the knuckles of the hand that wrote.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one another.
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 And the king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers; and he said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [there shall be] a golden chain upon his neck, and he shall be the third ruler in my kingdom.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth-sayers. [And] the king spoke and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation of it, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king.
Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation of it.
9 And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.
Then was the king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished.
10 Then the queen came into the banquet house, and said, O king, live for ever: let not your thoughts trouble you, and let not your countenance be changed.
[Now] the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spoke and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11 There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of God; and in the days of your father watchfulness and understanding were found in him; and king Nabuchodonosor your father made him chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers.
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 understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] sooth-sayers;
12 For [there is] an excellent spirit in him, and sense and understanding in him, interpreting dreams [as he does], and answering hard [questions], and solving difficulties: [it is] Daniel, and the king gave him the name of Baltasar: now then let him be called, and he shall tell you the interpretation of the writing.
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, the interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king: and the king said to Daniel, Are you Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Judea, which the king my father brought?
Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spoke and said to Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, who [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judea?
14 I have heard concerning you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and [that] watchfulness and understanding and excellent wisdom have been found in you.
I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now, the wise men, magicians, [and] soothsayers, have come in before me, to read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation: but they could not tell it me.
And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard concerning you, that you are able to make interpretations: now then if you shall be able to read the writing, and to make known to me the interpretation of it, you shall be clothed with purple, and there shall be a golden chain upon your neck, and you shall be third ruler in my kingdom.
And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 And Daniel said, before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give the present of your house to another; but I will read the writing, and will make known to you the interpretation of it.
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O king, the most high God gave to your father Nabuchodonosor a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory:
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor:
19 and by reason of the majesty which he gave to him, all nations, tribes, [and] languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed; and whom he would he struck; and whom he would he exalted; and whom he would he abased.
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared 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 his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was emboldened to act proudly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and [his] honour was taken from him.
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven forth from men; and his heart was given him after the nature of wild beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and they fed him with grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whoever he shall please.
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22 And you accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, has not humbled your heart before God: know you not all this?
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 And you has been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before you the vessels of his house, and you, and your nobles, and your mistresses, and your concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and you has praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are your breath, and all your ways has you not glorified.
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drank wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
24 Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered the writing.
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares.
And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the sentence: Mane; God has measured your kingdom, and finished it.
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found lacking.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 Phares; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then Baltasar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put the golden chain about his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In the same night was Baltasar the Chaldean king slain.
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being sixty-two years [old].
And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about sixty and two years old.

< Daniel 5 >