 1 King Belshazzar made a great feast to a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand. 2 When tasting the wine, Belshazzar commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that the king and his rulers, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God in Jerusalem and the king and his rulers, his wives, and his concubines drank in them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver and of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 At that moment, fingers of a man's hand came out and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace across from the lampstand. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's face was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his body+ were loosened and his knees knocked against one another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever will read this writing, and show me its meaning, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold around his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then all the king's wise men came in. But they could not read the writing, nor make the meaning known to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changing in him, and his lords were perplexed. 10 The queen came into the banquet house because of the king's words, and his nobles. And the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom was found in him like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 This because an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding explained dreams and revealed hard sentences and unraveled knots were found in this Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called and he will reveal the meaning. 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel who is of the exiled children of Judah whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men and astrologers have been brought in before me so that they might read this writing and make the meaning+ known to me. But they could not declare the meaning of the thing. 16 I have heard of you that you can interpret meanings and unravel knots. Now if you can read the writing, and reveal its meaning to me, you shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel said before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing to the king and make the meaning known to him. 18 O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. 19 For the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he would, 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 put down from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him. 21 He was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the animals, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until he knew that the most high God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He will. 22 You his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. 23 But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. 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. And you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, or bronze, iron, wood, and stone, that do not see, nor hear, nor know. And you have not glorified the God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways. 24 Then part of the hand was sent from him and this writing was written: 25 This is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 26 This is the interpretation: Mene: God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. 27 Tekel or Shekel: You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. 28 Peres or half mina: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then Belshazzar commanded and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a gold chain around his neck and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That night King Belshazzar of the Chaldeans was killed. 31 Then Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being a son of sixty two years.
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