Belshazzar's Impious Feast

1Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and there was wine before the thousand. 2And Baltasar drinking gave orders as he tasted the wine that they should bring the gold and silver vessels, which Nabuchodonosor his father had brought forth from the temple in Jerusalem; that the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, should drink out of them. 3So the gold and silver vessels were brought which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple of God in Jerusalem; and the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, drank out of them. 4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote in front of the lamp on the plaster of the wall of the king's house: and the king saw the knuckles of the hand that wrote. 6Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one another. 7And the king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; and he said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and there shall be a golden chain upon his neck, and he shall be the third ruler in my kingdom. 8Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king. 9And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.

10Then the queen came into the banquet house, and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, and let not thy countenance be changed. 11There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of God; and in the days of thy father watchfulness and understanding were found in him; and king Nabuchodonosor thy father made him chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12For there is an excellent spirit in him, and sense and understanding in him, interpreting dreams as he does, and answering hard questions, and solving difficulties: it is Daniel, and the king gave him the name of Baltasar: now then let him be called, and he shall tell thee the interpretation of the writing.

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king: and the king said to Daniel, Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Judea, which the king my father brought? 14I have heard concerning thee, that the Spirit of God is in thee, and that watchfulness and understanding and excellent wisdom have been found in thee. 15And now, the wise men, magicians, and soothsayers, have come in before me, to read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation: but they could not tell it me. 16And I have heard concerning thee, that thou art able to make interpretations: now then if thou shalt be able to read the writing, and to make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and there shall be a golden chain upon thy neck, and thou shalt be third ruler in my kingdom.

17And Daniel said, before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give the present of thine house to another; but I will read the writing, and will make known to thee the interpretation of it. 18O king, the most high God gave to thy father Nabuchodonosor a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory: 19and by reason of the majesty which he gave to him, all nations, tribes, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he smote; and whom he would he exalted; and whom he would he abased. 20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was emboldened to act proudly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his honour was taken from him. 21And he was driven forth from men; and his heart was given him after the nature of wild beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and they fed him with grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please. 22And thou accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, has not humbled thine heart before God: knowest thou not all this? 23And thou has been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before thee the vessels of his house, and thou, and thy nobles, and thy mistresses, and thy concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and thou has praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are thy breath, and all thy ways has thou not glorified. 24Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered the writing.

25And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares. 26This is the interpretation of the sentence: Mane; God has measured thy kingdom, and finished it. 27Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found wanting. 28Phares; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29Then Baltasar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put the golden chain about his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom.

30In the same night was Baltasar the Chaldean king slain. 31And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being sixty-two years old.