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 that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him , 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 God’s house 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 bronze , of iron , of wood, and of stone.

⁵In the same hour , the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king ’s palace . The king saw the part of the hand that wrote .

⁶Then the king ’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another .

⁷The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans , and the soothsayers . The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows 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 all the king ’s wise men came in ; but they could not read the writing , and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation .

⁹Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him , and his lords were perplexed .

¹⁰The 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 ; don’t 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 . The king , Nebuchadnezzar , your father—yes, the king , your father—made him master of the magicians , enchanters, Chaldeans , and soothsayers ,

¹²because an excellent spirit , knowledge , understanding , interpreting of dreams , showing of dark 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 .”

¹³Then Daniel was brought in before the king . The king spoke and said to Daniel , “Are you that Daniel 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 , understanding , and excellent 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 dissolve doubts . 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 around your neck , and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom .”

¹⁷Then Daniel answered before the king , “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless , I will read the writing to the king , and make known to him the interpretation .

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

¹⁹Because of the greatness that he gave him , all the peoples , nations, and languages trembled and feared before him . He killed whom he wanted to , and he kept alive whom he wanted to . He raised up whom he wanted to , and he put down whom he wanted to .

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

²¹He was driven from the sons of men , and his heart 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 will .

²²“You , 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 . You have praised the gods of silver and gold , of bronze , iron , wood, and stone, which don’t see , or hear , or know ; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is , and whose are all your ways.

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

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

²⁶“This is the interpretation of the thing :

MENE : God has counted 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 Belshazzar commanded, 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.