< Daniel 5 >

1 Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and [there was] wine before the thousand.
King Belshazzar made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and dranke wine before the thousand.
2 And 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.
And Belshazzar whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels, which his father Nebuchad-nezzar had brought from the Temple in Ierusalem, that the King and his princes, his wiues, and his concubines might drinke therein.
3 So 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.
Then were brought the golden vessels, that were taken out of the Temple of the Lords house at Ierusalem, and the King and his princes, his wiues and his concubines dranke in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
They drunke wine and praysed the gods of golde, and of siluer, of brasse, of yron, of wood and of stone.
5 In 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.
At the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand, which wrote ouer against the candlesticke vpon the plaister of the wall of ye Kings palace, and the King sawe the palme of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one another.
Then the Kings countenance was changed, and his thoughtes troubled him, so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other.
7 And 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.
Wherefore the King cryed loude, that they should bring the astrologians, the Caldeans and the soothsayers. And the King spake, and sayd to the wise men of Babel, Whosoeuer can reade this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shalbe clothed with purple, and shall haue a chaine of golde about his necke, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdome.
8 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king.
Then came all the Kings wise men, but they could neither reade the writing, nor shewe the King the interpretation.
9 And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.
Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his princes were astonied.
10 Then 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.
Now the Queene by reason of the talke of the King, and his princes came into the banket house, and the Queene spake, and sayd, O King, liue for euer: let not thy thoughtes trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
11 There 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.
There is a man in thy kingdome, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the dayes of thy father light and vnderstanding and wisdome like the wisdome of the gods, was found in him: whom the King Nebuchad-nezzar thy father, the King, I say, thy father, made chiefe of the enchanters, astrologians, Caldeans, and soothsayers,
12 For [there is] an excellent spirit in him, and sense and understanding are 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.
Because a more excellent spirit, and knowledge, and vnderstanding (for hee did expound dreames, and declare hard sentences, and dissolued doubtes) were founde in him, euen in Daniel, whome the King named Belteshazzar: nowe let Daniel be called, and hee will declare the interpretation.
13 Then 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?
Then was Daniel brought before the King, and the King spake and sayd vnto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captiuitie of Iudah, whom my father the King brought out of Iewrie?
14 I 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.
Now I haue heard of thee, that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and that light and vnderstanding and excellent wisdome is found in thee.
15 And 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.
Now therefore, wisemen and astrologians haue bene brought before me, that they should reade this writing, and shewe me the interpretation thereof: but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
16 And 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.
Then heard I of thee, that thou couldest shewe interpretations, and dissolue doutes: nowe if thou canst reade the writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt haue a chaine of golde about thy necke, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdome.
17 And 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.
Then Daniel answered, and sayd before the King, Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe, and giue thy giftes to another: yet I will reade the writing vnto the King, and shew him the interpretation.
18 O king, the most high God gave to thy father Nabuchodonosor a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory:
O King, heare thou, The most high God gaue vnto Nebuchad-nezzar thy father a kingdome, and maiestie, and honour and glory.
19 and 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.
And for the maiestie that he gaue him, all people, nations, and languages trembled, and feared before him: he put to death whom he would: he smote whome he would: whome he would he set vp, and whome he would he put downe.
20 But 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.
But when his heart was puft vp, and his minde hardened in pride, hee was deposed from his kingly throne, and they tooke his honour from him.
21 And 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.
And hee was driuen from the sonnes of men, and his heart was made like the beastes, and his dwelling was with the wilde asses: they fed him with grasse like oxen, and his body was wet with the dewe of the heauen, till he knewe, that the most high God bare rule ouer the kingdome of men, and that he appointeth ouer it, whomsoeuer he pleaseth.
22 And thou accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thine heart before God: knowest thou not all this?
And thou his sonne, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all these things,
23 And thou hast 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 hast 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 hast thou not glorified.
But hast lift thy selfe vp against the Lord of heauen, and they haue brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, thy wiues and thy concubines haue drunke wine in them, and thou hast praysed the gods of siluer and golde, of brasse, yron, wood and stone, which neither see, neither heare, nor vnderstand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy wayes, him hast thou not glorified.
24 Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered this writing.
Then was the palme of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
25 And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares.
And this is the writing that he hath written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the sentence: Mane; God has measured thy kingdom, and finished it.
This is the interpretation of the thing, MENE, God hath nombred thy kingdome, and hath finished it.
27 Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found wanting.
TEKEL, thou art wayed in the balance, and art found too light.
28 Phares; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
PERES, thy kingdome is deuided, and giuen to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then 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.
Then at the commandement of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chaine of golde about his necke, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdome.
30 In the same night was Baltasar the Chaldean king slain.
The same night was Belshazzar the King of the Caldeans slaine.
31 And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being sixty-two years [old].
And Darius of the Medes tooke the kingdome, being threescore and two yeere olde.

< Daniel 5 >