Daniel 5
1. Belshazzar the king made * a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank * wine before the thousand.
2. Belshazzar, whiles 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 * therein.
3. 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, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5. In the same hour came forth * fingers of a man's hand, and wrote * over against the candlestick upon the plaister 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 was changed * , and his thoughts troubled * him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed * , and his knees smote * one against another.
7. The king cried * aloud to bring * in the astrologers, the Chaldeans,and the soothsayers * . And the king spake * , and said * to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read * this writing, and shew * me the interpretation thereof, 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 * to the king the interpretation thereof.
9. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled * , and his countenance was changed * in him, and his lords were astonied * .
10. Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came * into the banquet house: and the queen spake * 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 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 soothsayers * ;
12. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding,interpreting * of dreams, and shewing 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 shew * the interpretation.
13. Then was Daniel brought in * before the king. And the king spake * and said * unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought * out of Jewry?
14. 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, the astrologers, have been brought * in before me, that they should read * this writing, and make known * unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could * not shew * the interpretation of the thing:
16. 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 thereof, 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. 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 unto the king, and make known * to him the interpretation.
18. O thou king, the most high God gave * Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19. 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 mind hardened * in pride * , he was deposed * from his kingly throne, and they took * his glory from him:
21. 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 ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth * over it whomsoever he will * .
22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled * thine heart, though thou knewest * all this;
23. 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 drunk * 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,hast thou not glorified * :
24. Then was the part of the hand sent * from him; and this writing was written * .
25. And this is the writing that was written * , MENE * , MENE * , TEKEL * , UPHARSIN * .
26. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE * ; God hath numbered * thy kingdom, and finished * it.
27. TEKEL * ; Thou art weighed * in the balances, and art found * wanting.
28. PERES * ; Thy kingdom is divided * , and given * to the Medes and Persians.
29. 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 that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain * .
31. And Darius the Median took * the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
