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 drank 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.

While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, 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 the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been 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, bronze and 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.

In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of 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 king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.

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 astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall 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.

Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.

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 troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

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.

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.

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—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

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

Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” The Writing on the Wall Explained

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. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “ Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from 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 God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent 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 astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.

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.”

And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. 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 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, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet 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 majesty, glory and honor.

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 majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, 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 spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 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.

Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

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

“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although 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. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

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

Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

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

“And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

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 each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;

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

TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

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

PERES: Your kingdom has been 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 gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar’s Fall

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

That very night Belshazzar, 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 received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.