1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his nobles. And he drank wine before the thousand.2 While tasting the wine, Belshazzar commanded the golden and silver vessels to be brought, those his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of bronze, of iron, wood, and stone.5 At that moment fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace across from the lampstand. And the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins shook, and his knees knocked one against the other.7 The king cried aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the fortunetellers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever can read this writing and explain its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around his neck. And he shall rule third in the kingdom.8 Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they could not read the writing or make the interpretation known to the king.9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed, and his nobles were perplexed.10 The queen came into the banquet house because of the words of the king and his nobles. The queen spoke and said, O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts terrify you, and do not let your countenance be changed.11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom were found in him, like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, appointed him master of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and fortunetellers;12 because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and declaring riddles, and the solving of problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.13 Then Daniel was thrust in before the king. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel who is of the sons of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought out of Judah?14 I have even heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and light, and excellent wisdom, and understanding are found in you.15 And now, the wise men and the conjurers have been thrust in before me, so that they might read this writing and make the interpretation known to me. But they were not able to declare the interpretation of the thing.16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make know to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a golden chain around your neck, and you will rule third in the kingdom.17 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 O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor.19 And for the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he desired, and whom he desired he kept alive. And whom he would, he set up; and whom he desired, he put down.20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him.21 And he was driven from the sons of men. And his heart was made like the animals, and his home was with the wild asses. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until he knew that the Most High God is Ruler in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He desires.22 And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.23 But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of Heaven. And they have brought the vessels of His house before you. And you, and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, and do not know. And you have not glorified the God in whose hand your life, breath, and all your ways is.24 Then the part of the hand was sent from Him, and this writing was written.25 And this is the writing that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.27 TEKEL: You are weighed in the balances and found deficient.28 PERES: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a necklace of gold around his neck. And they made a proclamation concerning him, that he should rule third in the kingdom.30 That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, was killed.31 And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about sixty two years old.

1 Balthasar, the kyng, made a greet feeste to hise beste men a thousynde, and ech man drank aftir his age.2 Forsothe the kyng thanne drunkun comaundide, that the goldun and siluerne vessels schulden be brouyt forth, whiche Nabugodonosor, his fadir, hadde borun out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, that the kyng, and hise beste men, hise wyues, and councubyns schulden drynke in tho vessels.3 Thanne the goldun vessels and siluerne, whiche he hadde borun out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, weren brouyt forth; and the kyng, and hise beste men, and hise wyues, and concubyns, drunken in tho vessels.4 Thei drunken wyn, and herieden her goddis of gold, and of siluer, of bras, and of irun, and of tree, and of stoon.5 In the same our fyngris apperiden, as of the hond of a man, writynge ayens the candilstike, in the pleyn part of the wal of the kyngis halle; and the kyng bihelde the fyngris of the hond writynge.6 Thanne the face of the kyng was chaungid, and hise thouytis disturbliden hym; and the ioyncturis of hise reynes weren loosid, and hise knees weren hurtlid to hem silf togidere.7 Therfor the kyng criede strongli, that thei schulden brynge yn astronomyens, Caldeis, and dyuynouris bi lokyng of auteris. And the kyng spak, and seide to the wise men of Babiloyne, Who euer redith this scripture, and makith opyn the interpretyng therof to me, schal be clothid in purpur; and he schal haue a goldun bie in the necke, and he schal be the thridde in my rewme.8 Thanne alle the wise men of the kyng entriden, and miyten not rede the scripture, nether schewe to the kyng the interpretyng therof.9 Wherof kyng Balthasar was disturblid ynow, and his cheer was chaungid, but also hise beste men weren disturblid.10 Forsothe the queen entride in to the hous of feeste, for the thing that hadde bifeld to the king, and beste men; and sche spak, and seide, Kyng, lyue thou withouten ende. Thi thouytis disturble not thee, and thi face be not chaungid.11 A man is in thi rewme, that hath the spirit of hooli goddis in hym silf, and in the daies of thi fadir kunnyng and wisdom weren foundun in hym; for whi and Nabugodonosor, thi fadir, made him prince of astronomyens, of enchaunteris, of Caldeis, and of dyuynouris bi lokyng on auteris; sotheli thi fadir, thou kyng, dide this;12 for more spirit, and more prudent, and vndurstondyng, and interpretyng of dremes, and schewyng of priuytees, and assoilyng of boundun thingis weren foundun in hym, that is, in Danyel, to whom the kyng puttide the name Balthasar. Now therfor Daniel be clepid, and he schal telle the interpretyng. Therfor Daniel was brouyt in bifor the kyng. To whom the forseid kyng seide,13 Art thou Danyel, of the sones of caitifte of Juda, whom my fader, the kyng, brouyte fro Judee?14 Y haue herd of thee, that thou hast in thee the spirit of goddis, and more kunnyng, and vndurstondyng, and wisdom be foundun in thee.15 And now wise men, astronomyens, entriden in my siyt, to rede this scripture, and to schewe to me the interpretyng therof; and thei myyten not seie to me the vndurstondyng of this word.16 Certis Y haue herde of thee, that thou maist interprete derk thingis, and vnbynde boundun thingis; therfor if thou maist rede the scripture, and schewe to me the interpretyng therof, thou schalt be clothid in purpur, and thou schalt haue a goldun bie aboute thi necke, and thou schalt be the thridde prince in my rewme.17 To whiche thingis Danyel answeride, and seide bifore the kyng, Thi yiftis be to thee, and yyue thou to another man the yiftis of thin hous; forsothe, kyng, Y schal rede the scripture to thee, and Y schal schewe to thee the interpretyng therof.18 O! thou kyng, hiyeste God yaf rewme, and greet worschipe, and glorie, and onour, to Nabugodonosor, thi fadir.19 And for greet worschip which he hadde youe to thilke Nabugodonosor, alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis, trembliden and dredden hym; he killide whiche he wolde, and he smoot whiche he wolde, and he enhaunside whiche he wolde, and he made low which he wolde.20 Forsothe whanne his herte was reisid, and his spirit was maad obstynat in pride, he was put doun of the seete of his rewme;21 and his glorie was takun awei, and he was cast out fro the sones of men; but also his herte was set with beestis, and his dwellyng was with wielde assis; also he eet hei as an oxe doith, and his bodi was colourid with the deew of heuene, til he knewe, that the hiyeste hath power in the rewme of men, and he schal reise on it whom euer he wole.22 And thou, Balthasar, the sone of hym, mekidest not thin herte, whanne thou knewist alle these thingis;23 but thou were reisid ayens the Lord of heuene, and the vessels of his hous weren brouyt bifore thee, and thou, and thi beste men, and thi wyues, and thi concubyns, drunken wyn in tho vessels; and thou heriedist goddis of siluer, and of gold, and of bras, and of irun, and of tree, and of stoon, that seen not, nether heren, nether feelen; certis thou glorifiedist not God, that hath thi blast, and alle thi weies in his hond.24 Therfor the fyngur of the hond was sent of hym, which hond wroot this thing that is writun.25 Sotheli this is the scripture which is discryued, Mane, Techel, Phares.26 And this is the interpretyng of the word. Mane, God hath noumbrid thi rewme, and hath fillid it;27 Techel, thou art weied in a balaunce, and thou art foundun hauynge lesse;28 Phares, thi rewme is departid, and is youun to Medeis and Perseis.29 Thanne, for the kyng comaundide, Daniel was clothid in purpur, and a goldun bie was youun aboute in his necke; and it was prechid of hym, that he hadde power, and was the thridde in the rewme.30 In the same niyt Balthasar, the kyng of Caldeis, was slayn;31 and Daryus of Medei was successour in to the rewme, and he was two and sixti yeer eld.