Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall
5:1 King Belshazzar1 prepared a great banquet2 for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of3 them all.4 5:2 While under the influence5 of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels—the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father6 had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem—so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them.7 5:3 So they brought8 the gold and silver9 vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God10 in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. 5:4 As they drank wine, they glorified the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5:5 At that very moment the fingers of a human hand11 appeared and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand.12 The king was watching the back of the hand that was writing. 5:6 Then all the color drained from the king’s face13 and his thoughts were alarming him. The joints of his hips gave way,14 and his knees began knocking together. 5:7 The king called out loudly to summon the astrologers, Chaldeans, and sorcerers. The king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and declare its interpretation would be clothed in purple15 and have a golden collar16 placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.
5:8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to declare its17 interpretation to the king. 5:9 Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken.18 His nobles were completely dumbfounded.
5:10 Due to the noise caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother19 then entered the banquet room. She20 said, “O king, live forever! Don’t let your thoughts terrify you! Don’t be shaken! 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods within him. In the days of Nebuchadnezzar your father, he was discovered to possess21 illumination, insight, and wisdom like that22 of the gods.23 King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and sorcerers.24 5:12 Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret25 dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. Now summon26 Daniel, and he will declare the interpretation.”
5:13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 5:14 I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 5:15 Now the wise men and astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and declare to me its interpretation. But they were unable to declare the interpretation of the matter. 5:16 However, I have heard that you are able to provide interpretations and to solve knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and declare to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third27 ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall
5:17 But Daniel replied to the king, “Keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else. However, I will read the writing for the king and declare its interpretation. 5:18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.28 5:19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear29 before him. He killed whom he wished, he let live30 whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 5:20 And when his mind became arrogant31 and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 5:21 He was driven from human society, his mind32 was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.
5:22 “But you, his son33 Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself,34 although you knew all this. 5:23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You had brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, were drinking wine from them. You glorified the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control35 your very breath and all your ways! 5:24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.
5:25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: mene’, mene’,36 teqel, and pharsin.37 5:26 This is the interpretation of the words: As for mene’38—God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. 5:27 As for teqel—you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. 5:28 As for peres39—your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
5:29 Then, on Belshazzar’s orders, Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 5:30 And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king,40 was killed.41 5:31 42 So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.