1 Belshazzar the king made a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and in the presence of the thousand he drank wine.
2 As he tasted the wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels be brought which Nebuchadnezzar his father had carried out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines could drink from them.
3 So they brought the gold vessels that had been carried out of the temple, the house of God that was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank the wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 In that same hour the fingers of a human hand appeared and were writing on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, across from the lampstand; and the king was watching the palm of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's face lost its color, and his thoughts alarmed him; the joints of his loins were loosened, and his knees struck one against the other.
7 The king cried aloud for the enchanters, the Chaldeans and the astrologers to be brought in. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, "Anyone who reads this writing and declares its interpretation to me shall be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold around his neck, and he shall rule as third in the kingdom."
8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they were not able to read the writing or to make its interpretation known to the king.
9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew pale, and his nobles were perplexed.
10 Because of what the king and his nobles had said, the queen came into the banquet house. The queen said, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you, and let not your face grow pale.
11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father's days light, understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans and astrologers,
12 because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles and loosen knots were found in this Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be summoned, and he will declare the interpretation."
13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light, understanding and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.
15 The wise men and the enchanters have just been brought before me to read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they were not able to declare the interpretation of the matter.
16 But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and loosen knots. Now if you are able to read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, you shall be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and you shall rule as third in the kingdom."
17 Then Daniel answered before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to someone else. Still, I will read the writing to the king and make the interpretation known to him.
18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness, honor and majesty.
19 Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations and languages trembled and were afraid before him. Whom he pleased he put to death, and whom he pleased he let live; whom he pleased he raised up, and whom he pleased he brought low.
20 But when his heart was exalted and his spirit grew hard so that he acted with arrogance, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his honor was taken away from him.
21 He was driven out from among the children of men, his heart was made like that of the animals, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like oxen, and his body was drenched 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 pleases.
22 And you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23 Instead you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels of his house were brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God who holds your breath in his hand and to whom all your ways belong you have not glorified.
24 So from his presence the palm of the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to its end;
27 TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient;
28 PERES, your kingdom has been split and given to the Medes and the Persians."
29 Then at Belshazzar's word they clothed Daniel in purple, put a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he should rule as third in the kingdom.
30 On that same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.