Chapter 5

Belshazzar the king made⁵⁷ a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank⁶¹ wine before the thousand.

Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded⁵⁷ to bring⁸⁶ the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out⁸⁵ of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink⁶⁰ therein.

Then they brought⁸⁵ the golden vessels that were taken out⁸⁵ of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank⁵⁷ in them.

They drank⁵⁷ wine, and praised⁶⁷ the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

In the same hour came forth⁵⁷ fingers of a man's hand, and wrote⁶² over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw⁶² the part of the hand that wrote.⁶²

Then the king's countenance was changed,⁵⁷ and his thoughts troubled²⁹ him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed,⁷⁶ and his knees smote⁶¹ one against another.

The king cried⁶⁰ aloud to bring in⁸⁶ the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers.⁶¹ [And] the king spake,⁶¹ and said⁶¹ to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever ³⁶⁰⁶ shall read⁶² this writing, and shew⁷⁰ me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed⁶⁰ with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler⁶⁰ in the kingdom.

Then came in⁶¹ all the king's wise [men]: but they could⁶² not read⁵⁸ the writing, nor make known⁸⁶ to the king the interpretation thereof.

Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled,⁸⁰ and his countenance was changed⁶¹ in him, and his lords were astonied.⁷⁶

[Now] the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came⁵⁷ into the banquet house: [and] the queen spake⁵⁷ and said,⁵⁷ O king, live⁵⁹ for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble²⁹ thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:⁷⁵

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 found⁷⁷ in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made⁸⁵ master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers;⁶¹

Forasmuch as ³⁶⁰⁶ an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting⁷¹ of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving⁷¹ of doubts, were found⁷⁷ in the same Daniel, whom the king named^{57 8036} Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called,⁸² and he will shew⁸⁸ the interpretation.

Then was Daniel brought in⁹⁰ before the king. [And] the king spake⁶¹ and said⁶¹ unto Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, which [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought⁸⁵ out of Jewry?

I have even heard⁵⁷ of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found⁷⁷ in thee.

And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in⁹⁰ before me, that they should read⁶⁰ this writing, and make known⁸⁶ unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could⁶² not shew⁸⁶ the interpretation of the thing:

And I have heard⁵⁷ of thee, that thou canst⁶⁰ make⁵⁸ interpretations, and dissolve⁵⁸ doubts: now if thou canst⁶⁰ read⁵⁸ the writing, and make known⁸⁶ to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed⁶⁰ with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler⁶⁰ in the kingdom.

Then Daniel answered⁶¹ and said⁶¹ before the king, Let thy gifts be⁶⁰ to thyself, and give⁵⁹ thy rewards to another; yet I will read⁶⁰ the writing unto the king, and make known⁸⁸ to him the interpretation.

O thou king, the most high God gave⁵⁷ Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

And for the majesty that he gave⁵⁷ him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled^{57 2112} and feared⁶² before ⁶⁹²⁵ him: whom he would^{57 6634 61} he slew;^{57 6992 62} and whom he would^{57 6634 61} he kept⁵⁷ alive;⁸⁹ and whom he would^{57 6634 61} he set⁵⁷ up;⁸⁹ and whom he would^{57 6634 61} he put⁵⁷ down.⁸⁹

But when his heart was lifted up,⁶³ and his mind hardened⁶⁰ in pride,⁸⁶ he was deposed⁹⁰ from his kingly throne, and they took⁸⁵ his glory from him:

And he was driven⁶³ from the sons of men; and his heart was made⁶⁷ like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed⁶⁰ him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet⁷⁵ with the dew of heaven; till he knew⁵⁷ that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth⁸⁸ over it whomsoever he will.⁶⁰

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled⁸⁵ thine heart, though thou knewest⁵⁷ all this;

But hast lifted up¹¹⁰ thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought⁸⁵ the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk⁶¹ wine in them; and thou hast praised⁶⁷ the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see⁶² not, nor hear,⁶¹ nor know:⁶² and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:⁶⁷

Then was the part of the hand sent⁶¹ from ⁶⁹²⁵ him; and this writing was written.⁶³

And this [is] the writing that was written,⁶³ MENE,⁶³ MENE,⁶³ TEKEL,⁶³ UPHARSIN.⁶²

This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE;⁶³ God hath numbered⁵⁷ thy kingdom, and finished⁸⁵ it.

TEKEL;⁶³ Thou art weighed⁶⁵ in the balances, and art found⁷⁷ wanting.

PERES;⁶³ Thy kingdom is divided,⁶³ and given⁶⁴ to the Medes and Persians.

Then commanded⁵⁷ Belshazzar, and they clothed⁸⁵ Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation⁸⁵ concerning him, that he should be⁶⁰ the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans ³⁷⁷⁹ slain.⁶³

And Darius the Median took⁶⁷ the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.