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The Mysterious Writing on the Wall

¹ Belshazzar the king made a great festival for a thousand of his lords,^[a] and in the presence of^[b] the thousand lords he was drinking wine.^{[c] 2} When he tasted the wine,^[d] Belshazzar commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his predecessor^[e] had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords,^[f] his wives and his concubines may drink from them. ³ Then they brought in the vessels of gold that they took from the temple, the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords,^[g] his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.^[h]

⁵ Immediately^[i] human fingers^[j] appeared and they wrote opposite^[k] the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching^[l] the palm of the hand that was writing. ⁶ Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and his hip joints gave way^[m] and his knees knocked together.^{[n] 7} The king cried aloud^[o] to bring in the conjurers,^[p] the astrologers^[q] and the diviners; the king spoke^[r] and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man that can read this writing and can tell me its explanation will be clothed in purple and will have a necklace of gold hung around his neck and he will rule as third in authority in the kingdom." ⁸ Then all the wise men of the king came in, but they were not able to read the writing or to make known its explanation.^{[s] 9} Then the king, Belshazzar, became greatly terrified, and his facial features^[t] changed upon him, and his lords^[u] were perplexed.

¹⁰ Because of the words of the king and his lords,^[v] the queen came into the banqueting hall^[w] and the queen spoke up^[x] and said, "O king, live forever,^[y] and let not your thoughts terrify you and do not let your facial expressions grow pale.^{[z] 11} There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.^[aa] And in the days of your predecessor,^[ab] enlightenment and insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and, O king, Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor^[ac] appointed him as chief of the magicians,^[ad] the conjurers,^[ae] the astrologers,^[af] and the diviners. Your predecessor^[ag] the king did this ¹² because^[ah] there was found in him an excellent spirit and understanding and insight for interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving riddles; that is, in Daniel whom the king named^[ai] Belteshazzar. Now, let Daniel be called and he will tell the explanation."^[aj]

Daniel Deciphers and Interprets the Writing

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king, and the king spoke^[ak] and said to Daniel, "You are Daniel who are one of the exiles^[al] of Judah^[am] whom my predecessor,^[an] the king, brought from Judah.^{[ao] 14} And I have heard that a spirit of the gods is in you and enlightenment and insight and excellent wisdom was found in you. ¹⁵ And now the wise men and the conjurers^[ap] were brought in before me so that they could read this writing in order to make its explanation^[aq] known to me, but they were not able to disclose the explanation^[ar] of the matter. ¹⁶ But I have heard concerning you that you are able to produce interpretations^[as] and to solve riddles; now if you are able to read the writing and to make known its explanation^[at] to me, you will be clothed in purple and a necklace of gold will be placed around your neck and you will rule as third in command in the kingdom."

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself or your rewards give to another; nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and I will make known to him the explanation.^{[au] 18} O king,^[av] the Most High God gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor.^{[aw] 19} And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all the peoples, the nations and languages trembled and feared before him; whomever he wanted he killed, and whomever he wanted he let live, and whomever he wanted he honored, and whomever he wanted he humbled. ²⁰ But when^[ax] his heart became arrogant and his spirit became hard so as to act proudly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and the^[ay] glory was taken away from him.^{[az] 21} And he was driven away from human society^[ba] and his mind was made like the animals^[bb] and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and he was given^[bc] grass like oxen to eat, and with^[bd] the dew of heaven his body was bathed, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and whoever^[be] he wants he sets over it.

²² "But you his successor,^[bf] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart even though^[bg] you knew all this. ²³ And now you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his temple you have brought in before you, and you and your lords,^[bh] your wives and your concubines, have been drinking wine from^[bi] them, and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone^[bj] that do not see and do not hear and do not know, but the God who holds your life in his hand^[bk] and all of your ways come from him,^[bl] you have not honored. ²⁴ So then the palm of the hand was sent out from his presence and this writing was inscribed.

²⁵ "Now this was the writing that was inscribed: ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin.'

²⁶ "This is the explanation of the matter:^[bm] ‘Mene'—God has numbered your kingdom and brought an end to it.

²⁷ "‘Tekel'—you have been weighed on scales and you have been found wanting.^[bn]

²⁸ "‘Peres'—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.'"

²⁹ Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple and placed a necklace of gold around his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him that he would be the third ruler in authority in the kingdom. ³⁰ That same night^[bo] Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. ^31 [bp] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.^[bq]