The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. {And} the king spake, and said to the wise {men} of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and {have} a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. {aloud: Chaldee, with might} {scarlet: or, purple}

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. {rulers: Heb. heads}

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise {men} of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou {art} able; for the spirit of the holy gods {is} in thee.

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from {these things} that shall come upon thee. {astrologers: Heb. viewers of the heavens} {the monthly...: Heb. that give knowledge concerning the months}

Then came in all the king's wise {men}: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.