And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise {men}, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name {is} the LORD of hosts.

In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device {is} against Babylon, to destroy it; because it {is} the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. {bright: Heb. pure}

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and {as for} gold, they shall not delight in it.

Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; {have...: or, strengthened}

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. {after...: or, to speak after the manner of men}

[A Song of degrees for Solomon.] Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh {but} in vain. {for...: or, of Solomon} {that...: Heb. that are builders of it in it}

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. {tower: Heb. fenced place} {unto me: or, in me} {when...: or, when I am argued with: Heb. upon my reproof, or, arguing}

Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

Ye mountains of Gilboa, {let there be} no dew, neither {let there be} rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, {as though he had} not {been} anointed with oil.

Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, {he is} a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and {is} as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: {Yea...: or, How much more}

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device {is} against Babylon, to destroy it; because it {is} the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. {bright: Heb. pure}

He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared. {worthies: or, gallants} {defence: Heb. covering, or, coverer}