1. King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of hiss nobles and drank wine with them.
2. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets
that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his
nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
3. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem,
and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and
stone.
5. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the
lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
6. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave
way.
7. The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these
wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in
purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest
ruler in the kingdom."
8. Then all the kings wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it
meant.
9. So king Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were
baffled.
10. The queen, hearing the voice of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "O king,
live forever!" she said. "Dont be alarmed! Dont look so pale!
11. There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your
father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King
Nebuchzdnezzar your father -- your father the king, I say -- appointed him chief of the
magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
12. This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and
knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve
difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means."
13. So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the
exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14. I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and
outstanding wisdom.
15. The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it
means, but they could not explain it.
16. Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you
can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold
chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."
17. Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to
someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18. "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and
glory and splendor.
19. Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every
language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;
those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he
wanted to humble, he humbled.
20. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal
throne and tripped of his glory.
21. He was driven away from prople and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild
donkeys and gate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he
acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over
them anyone he wishes.
22. "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yurself, though you knew all this.
23. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his
temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine
from them. you praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which
cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your
life and all your ways.
24. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25. "This is the indcription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN
26. "This is what these words mean: mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought
it to an end.
27. Tekel: You have been weighted on the scales and found wanting.
28. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
29. Then at Belshazzars comman, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his
neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,
31. and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
