Chapter 11 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he. Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown. “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king. “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch. I can do nothing with him!”
Chapter 11 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon is here in full — 214 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions
From this reading ““The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.”
inflected form of “confer” — have a conference in order to talk something over
From this reading “Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.”
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading ““The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.”
quickly aroused to anger
From this reading “Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.”
a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading ““The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.”
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading ““The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.”
experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss
From this reading “If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.”
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading “Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
(Old Testament) Babylonian general and son of Nebuchadnezzar II; according to the Old Testament he was warned of his doom by divine handwriting on the wall that was interpreted by Daniel (6th century BC)
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
inflected form of “confer” — have a conference in order to talk something over
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
set up or found
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
quickly aroused to anger
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
roused to anger
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
the force of workers available
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
not any; not one
From this reading “He knows no more fear than a mad auroch.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “The Jew is obstinate as an old camel!” cursed the king.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
experiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If Gudea’s heart was sorrowful that night, so were those of greater men than he.
at the time that
From this reading Avil had never before found Belshazzar so irascible, as when they conferred in a quiet chamber of the palace, about sundown.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I can do nothing with him!”
Chapter 11 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by William Stearns Davis holds 214 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 11 holds 214 sentences of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by William Stearns Davis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 214 sentences, grouped into 43 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
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Yes. All 6626 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66745 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66745, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 552 minutes of reading across 1326 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Choose one of the 27 chapters of Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon to begin.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
