1 B elshazzar the king hath made a great feast to a thousand of his great men, and before the thousand he is drinking wine;

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and he drank his wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 B elshazzar hath said -- while tasting the wine -- to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that in Jerusalem, that drink with them may the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.

Belshazzar, while he was tasting the wine, commanded that the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.

3 T hen they have brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple of the house of God that in Jerusalem, and drunk with them have the king and his great men, his wives and his concubines;

Then they brought in the gold and silver vessels which had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

4 t hey have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 I n that hour come forth have fingers of a man's hand, and they are writing over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing;

Immediately and suddenly there appeared the fingers of a man’s hand and wrote on the plaster of the wall opposite the candlestick in the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6 t hen the king's countenance hath changed, and his thoughts do trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are smiting one against another.

Then the color and the hilarious brightness of the king’s face was changed, and his thoughts troubled and alarmed him; the joints and muscles of his hips and back gave way and his knees smote together.

7 C all doth the king mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Answered hath the king, and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, `Any man who doth read this writing, and its interpretation doth shew me, purple he putteth on, and a bracelet of gold on his neck, and third in the kingdom he doth rule.'

The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters or soothsayers, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever will read this writing and show me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put about his neck and will be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8 T hen coming up are all the wise men of the king, and they are not able to read the writing, and the interpretation to make known to the king;

And all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation of it.

9 t hen the king Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed.

Then King Belshazzar was greatly perplexed and alarmed and the color faded from his face, and his lords were puzzled and astounded.

10 T he queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, to the banquet-house hath come up. Answered hath the queen, and said, `O king, to the ages live; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor thy countenance be changed:

Now the queen, overhearing the exciting words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. The queen said, O king, live forever! Do not be alarmed at your thoughts or let your cheerful expression and the color of your face be changed.

11 t here is a man in thy kingdom in whom the spirit of the holy gods: and, in the days of thy father, light, and understanding, and wisdom -- as the wisdom of the gods -- was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him -- thy father, O king --

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy God, and 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—the king, I say, your father—appointed him master of the magicians, enchanters or soothsayers, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

12 b ecause that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he doth show.'

Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, clarify riddles, and solve knotty problems were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

13 T hen Daniel hath been caused to come up before the king; answered hath the king, and said to Daniel, `Thou art that Daniel who of the sons of the Removed of Judah, whom the king my father brought in out of Judah?

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

14 A nd I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods in thee, and light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in thee.

I have heard of you, that the Spirit of the holy God is in you and that light and understanding and superior wisdom are found in you.

15 ` And now, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that this writing they may read, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to shew the interpretation of the thing:

Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me that they might read this writing and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.

16 a nd I -- I have heard of thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, lo -- thou art able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know -- purple thou dost put on, and a bracelet of gold on thy neck, and third in the kingdom thou dost rule.'

But I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations and solve knotty problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17 T hen hath Daniel answered and said before the king, `Thy gifts be to thyself, and thy fee to another give; nevertheless, the writing I do read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know;

Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. However, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

18 t hou, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour, gave to Nebuchadnezzar thy father:

O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and greatness and glory and majesty;

19 a nd because of the greatness that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making low;

And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down.

20 a nd when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he hath been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away from him,

But when his heart was lifted up and his mind and spirit were hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him;

21 a nd from the sons of men he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it.

He was driven from among men, and his heart or mind was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens until he learned and knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and that He appoints and sets over it whomever He will.

22 ` And thou, his son, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou hast known;

And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart and mind, though you knew all this.

23 a nd against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured.

And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of His house have been brought 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in Whose hand your breath is and Whose are all your ways you have not honored and glorified.

24 ` Then from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down;

Then was the part of the hand sent from the presence of, and this writing was inscribed.

25 a nd this the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.

And this is the inscription that was written, mene, mene, tekel, upharsin —numbered, numbered, weighed, divisions.

26 T his the interpretation of the thing: Numbered -- God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.

This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingship and brought them to an end;

27 W eighed -- Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking.

tekel, You are weighed in the balances and are found wanting;

28 D ivided -- Divided is thy kingdom, and it hath been given to the Medes and Persians.'

peres, Your kingdom and your kingship are divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 T hen hath Belshazzar said, and they have clothed Daniel with purple, and a bracelet of gold on his neck, and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in the kingdom.

Then Belshazzar commanded, and Daniel was clothed with purple and a chain of gold put about his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 I n that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,

During that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain,

31 a nd Darius the Mede hath received the kingdom, when a son of sixty and two years.

And Darius the Mede took the kingdom; he was about sixty-two years old.