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 drank 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.

While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, 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 the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been 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, bronze and 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;

In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of 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 king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.

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 astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall 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;

Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.

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 troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

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:

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.

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—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

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.'

Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” The Writing on the Wall Explained

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. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “ Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from 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 God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent 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 astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.

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.'

And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. 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 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, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet 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 majesty, glory and honor.

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 majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, 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 spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 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.

Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

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

“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although 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. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

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

Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

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.

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

This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;

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

TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

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

PERES: Your kingdom has been 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 gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar’s Fall

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

That very night Belshazzar, 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 received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.