1Belshazzar the king made a great feast for his thousand nobles, and before the thousand he drank wine.2Belshazzar, while tasting the wine, commanded to bring the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought out from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his consorts and his concubines, might drink from them.3Then the gold vessels that had been brought out from the temple of the house of God in Jerusalem were brought, and the king and his nobles, his consorts and his concubines drank from them.4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.5At that moment the fingers of a human hand came forth and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.6Then the king's face changed, his thoughts alarmed him, the joints of his hips were loosened, and his knees knocked against each other.7The king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king answered and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whoever reads this writing and makes its interpretation known to me shall be clothed in purple, shall wear a gold chain around his neck, and shall rule as third in the kingdom.8Then all the king's wise men entered, but they were not able to read the writing or to make its interpretation known to the king.9Then King Belshazzar became greatly alarmed, his face changed, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.10Because of the words of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. The queen answered and said: O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts alarm you, and do not let your countenance change.11There 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 like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.12An extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, to explain riddles, and to loose knots were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will make the interpretation known.13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel: You are that Daniel, one of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah.14I have heard about you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.15The wise men and the enchanters have now been brought before me so that they might read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they are not able to declare the interpretation of the matter.16I have heard about you that you are able to interpret interpretations and to loose knots. Now if you can read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, you shall be clothed in purple, shall wear a gold chain around your neck, and shall rule as third in the kingdom.17Then Daniel answered before the king: Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make the interpretation known to him.18You, O king—the Most High God gave the kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory to Nebuchadnezzar your father.19And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wished, struck whom he wished, exalted whom he wished, and brought low whom he wished.20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became arrogant so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his honor was taken from him.21He was driven from among men, and his heart was made like that of the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like oxen, 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 appoints over it whomever he wills.22And you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.23You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels of his house were brought before you, and you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see nor hear nor know, and you have not honored the God in whose hand is your breath and all your ways.24Therefore the palm of the hand was sent from his presence, 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 brought it to an end.27Tekel—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.28Peres—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.29Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he should be third ruler in the kingdom.30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed.31And Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two years.