^{1 Ref} Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.

^{2 Ref} Belshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.

³ Then they took in the gold and silver vessels which had been in the Temple of the house of God at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, took wine from them.

^{4 Ref} They took their wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, of brass and iron and wood and stone.

^{5 Ref} In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand were seen, writing opposite the support for the light on the white wall of the king's house, and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.

^{6 Ref} Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.

^{7 Ref} The king, crying out with a loud voice, said that the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs, were to be sent for. The king made answer and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever is able to make out this writing, and make clear to me the sense of it, will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold round his neck, and will be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.

^{8 Ref} Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.

^{9 Ref} Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.

^{10 Ref} The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the house of the feast: the queen made answer and said, O King, have life for ever; do not be troubled by your thoughts or let the colour go from your face:

^{11 Ref} 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 reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;

^{12 Ref} Because a most special spirit, and knowledge and reason and the power of reading dreams and unfolding dark sayings and answering hard questions, were seen to be in him, even in Daniel (named Belteshazzar by the king): now let Daniel be sent for, and he will make clear the sense of the writing.