1 ¶ Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, while he was drinking the wine, commanded men to bring the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem; so that the king, his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink from them.

3 Then they brought the golden vessels that had been taken from the holy place in God’s temple at Jerusalem; and the king, his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank from them.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Just then the fingers of a man’s hand appeared, and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the hand that wrote.

6 Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him, so that the joints of his hips became weak, and his knees knocked against each other.

7 The king shouted loudly to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever can read this writing, and tells me what it means, will be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold around his neck, and will be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8 And all of the king’s wise men came in: but they could not read the writing, or tell the king what it meant.

9 Then king Belshazzar was terribly frightened, and the color faded from his face, and his lords were astonished.

10 ¶ Now because of what the king and his lords said, the queen came into the banquet hall: and the queen spoke and said, O king, live for ever: do not let your thoughts frighten you, or let your expression be changed:

11 There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of the holy God; and in the days of your grandfather light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; and your grandfather king Nebuchadnezzar made him master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

12 Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, ability to interpret dreams, explain difficult statements, and solve problems, was found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will reveal the interpretation.

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my grandfather brought from Judah?

14 I have heard that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in you.

15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, were brought in to me, to read this writing, and tell me what it means: but they could not tell me what it means:

16 And I have heard that you can interpret things, and solve problems: now if you can read the writing, and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in scarlet, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and will be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17 Then Daniel answered and said to the king, Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to another; but I will read what is written to the king, and tell him what it means.

18 O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your grandfather a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor:

19 And because of the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and were afraid of him: he killed whom he wanted; and he kept alive whom he wanted; he honored whom he wanted; and put down whom he wanted.

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 mind became like that of the beasts, and he lived with the wild donkeys: being fed grass like cattle, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God rules over the kingdom of men, and that he appoints over it whomever he will.

22 And you his grandson, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this;

23 But have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his temple before you, and you, your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which can not see, or hear, or know: and you have not honored the God who holds your life in his hand, and to whom all your ways belong:

24 Then he sent the hand; and wrote this inscription.

25 And these are the words that were written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

26 This is what they mean: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it.

27 TEKEL; You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

28 PERES; Your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 ¶ That night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed.

31 And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, when he was about sixty-two years old.