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

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and he drank his wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 W hen 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.

Belshazzar, while he was tasting the wine, commanded that the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.

3 S o 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.

Then they brought in the gold and silver vessels which had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

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

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

5 A ll 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.

Immediately and suddenly there appeared the fingers of a man’s hand and wrote on the plaster of the wall opposite the candlestick in the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6 T hen the king’s face turned white, and his thoughts turned to fear. His legs became weak and his knees began shaking.

Then the color and the hilarious brightness of the king’s face was changed, and his thoughts troubled and alarmed him; the joints and muscles of his hips and back gave way and his knees smote together.

7 T he 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.”

The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters or soothsayers, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever will read this writing and show me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put about his neck and will be the third ruler in the kingdom.

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

And all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation of it.

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

Then King Belshazzar was greatly perplexed and alarmed and the color faded from his face, and his lords were puzzled and astounded.

10 T he 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.

Now the queen, overhearing the exciting words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. The queen said, O king, live forever! Do not be alarmed at your thoughts or let your cheerful expression and the color of your face be changed.

11 T here 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.

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the holy God, and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—the king, I say, your father—appointed him master of the magicians, enchanters or soothsayers, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

12 T his 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

Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, clarify riddles, and solve knotty problems were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

13 S o 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?

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

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

I have heard of you, that the Spirit of the holy God is in you and that light and understanding and superior wisdom are found in you.

15 T he 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.

Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me that they might read this writing and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.

16 N ow 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.”

But I have heard of you, that you can make interpretations and solve knotty problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold put around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17 T hen 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.

Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. However, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

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

O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and greatness and glory and majesty;

19 B ecause 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.

And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down.

20 B ut 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.

But when his heart was lifted up and his mind and spirit were hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him;

21 H e 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.

He was driven from among men, and his heart or mind was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens until he learned and knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and that He appoints and sets over it whomever He will.

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

And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart and mind, though you knew all this.

23 Y ou 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.

And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of His house have been brought before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in Whose hand your breath is and Whose are all your ways you have not honored and glorified.

24 S o the hand was sent from Him to write on your wall.

Then was the part of the hand sent from the presence of, and this writing was inscribed.

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

And this is the inscription that was written, mene, mene, tekel, upharsin —numbered, numbered, weighed, divisions.

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

This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingship and brought them to an end;

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

tekel, You are weighed in the balances and are found wanting;

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

peres, Your kingdom and your kingship are divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

29 T hen 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

Then Belshazzar commanded, and Daniel was clothed with purple and a chain of gold put about his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 T hat very night Belshazzar the king of Babylon was killed.

During that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain,

31 S o Darius the Mede became the king when he was sixty-two years old.

And Darius the Mede took the kingdom; he was about sixty-two years old.