1 B elshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

King Belshazzar gave a special supper for a thousand of his important men, and drank wine with them.

2 W hen Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.

When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he had all the gold and silver cups brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he and his important men and all his wives could drink from them.

3 T hen they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his important men and all his wives drank from them.

4 T hey drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

5 S uddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.

All at once the fingers of a man’s hand were seen writing on the wall near the lamp-stand of the king’s house. And the king saw the back of the hand as it wrote.

6 T hen the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.

Then the king’s face turned white, and his thoughts turned to fear. His legs became weak and his knees began shaking.

7 T he king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.”

The king called in a loud voice for the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars and those who used their secret ways. He said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed with purple clothing and have a chain of gold around his neck. And he will be the third in power in the nation.”

8 T hen all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.

Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

9 T hen King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.

Then King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face lost even more of its color, and his important men did not know what to do.

10 T he queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “ O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.

The queen heard the words of the king and his men, and came into the room where they were eating. She said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts make you afraid or your face turn white.

11 T here is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners.

There is a man in your nation who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father’s time light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him the head of the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars, and those who use their secret ways.

12 T his was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.” Daniel Interprets Handwriting on the Wall

This was because a special spirit was found in this Daniel whom the king called Belteshazzar. He had much learning and understanding to tell the meaning of dreams and secrets and to give answers to problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what this means.” Daniel Tells What the Writing Means

13 T hen Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?

So Daniel was brought to the king. And the king said to him, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the people whom my father the king brought from Judah?

14 N ow I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.

I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. Light and understanding and special wisdom have been found in you also.

15 J ust now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message.

The wise men and wonder-workers were brought in to me so that they might read this writing and tell me what it means. But they could not tell me its meaning.

16 B ut I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Now I have heard that you are able to tell the meaning of such things and give answers to hard problems. If you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in purple and wear a chain of gold around your neck. And you will be the third in power in the nation.”

17 T hen Daniel answered and said before the king, “ Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.

Then Daniel answered the king, saying, “Keep your gifts for yourself, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing to the king and tell him what it means.

18 O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

O king, the Most High made your father Nebuchadnezzar king, and gave him greatness, honor, and power.

19 B ecause of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.

Because of the greatness He gave to him, all the people of every nation and language shook in fear in front of him. He killed whomever he wanted. And he let live whomever he wanted. He gave honor to whomever he wanted. And he put down whomever he wanted.

20 B ut when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

But when his heart and spirit became proud and he acted in pride, he was taken from his throne and his greatness was taken from him.

21 H e was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

He was driven away from people, and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet with the water from heaven. It was like this for him until he understood that the Most High God is ruler over the nation of all men, and that He lets whomever He wants rule it.

22 Y et you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,

Yet you, his son Belshazzar, have not put away the pride from your heart, even though you knew all this.

23 b ut you have exalted yourself 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 been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.

You have honored yourself more than the Lord of heaven. The cups of His house have been brought to you. And you and your important men and all your wives have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But you have not honored the God Who holds your life and your ways in His hand.

24 T hen the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

So the hand was sent from Him to write on your wall.

25 “ Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘ MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’

“This is what was written: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.’

26 T his is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.

And this is what it means: ‘MENE’ means that God has numbered the days of your rule and has brought it to an end.

27 ‘ TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

‘TEKEL’ means that you have been weighed and found to be too light.

28 ‘ PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

‘PERES’ means that your nation has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29 T hen Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.

Then Belshazzar had them dress Daniel in purple and put a chain of gold around his neck. And he made it known that Daniel was the third most powerful ruler in the nation. Belshazzar Is Killed

30 T hat same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.

That very night Belshazzar the king of Babylon was killed.

31 S o Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

So Darius the Mede became the king when he was sixty-two years old.