1Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he drank wine.
2Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought out from the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, his consorts and his concubines, might drink in them.
3Then they brought the vessels of gold which had been brought out from the temple of the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his consorts and his concubines, drank in them.
4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5In that hour came out fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.
6Then the king, his brightness was changed, and his thoughts terrified him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees knocked one against another.
7The king cried with might to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king answered and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever shall read this writing, and declare to me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as third in the kingdom."
8Then came in all the king's wise men, but they were not able to read the writing, nor make known to the king its interpretation.
9Then king Belshazzar was greatly terrified, and his brightness was changed upon him, and his nobles were perplexed.
10The queen, because of the words of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet house; the queen answered and said, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts terrify you, nor let your brightness be changed.
11There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit (ruach) of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and insight and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners,
12inasmuch as an excellent spirit (ruach), and knowledge, and insight, interpreting of dreams, and declaring of riddles, and loosing of knots, were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation."
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel, who is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah?
14And I have heard of you, that the spirit (ruach) of the gods is in you, and light and insight and surpassing wisdom is found in you.
15And now 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 are not able to declare the interpretation of the matter.
16And I have heard of you, that you are able to give interpretations and to loose knots; now if you are able to read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall rule as third in the kingdom."
17Then Daniel answered and said 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.
18O you, O king, God Most High (Elyon) gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father;
19and because of the greatness that He gave him, all the peoples, nations, and tongues trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he brought low.
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit (ruach) became strong to deal proudly, he was brought down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken from him.
21And he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and with the wild asses was his dwelling; they fed him grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens; until he knew that God Most High (Elyon) rules in the kingdom of men, and sets up over it whomever He will.
22And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this;
23but you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of the heavens; and the vessels of His house they have brought before you, and you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, have drunk wine in them; and the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know, you have praised; but the God in whose hand is your breath (neshamah), and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored.
24Then from before Him was sent the palm of the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
25And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.
27TEKEL, you are weighed in the balances, and 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 proclaimed concerning him that he should be ruler as third in the kingdom.
30In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.