Belshazzar’s Feast

1Belshazzar† the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he was drinking wine. 2Belshazzar commanded during the tasting of the wine to bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father† had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that they might drink from them—the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines.

3So they brought the vessels of gold that had been taken from the temple of the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and they drank from them—the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines. 4They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

5At that moment appeared the fingers of the hand of a man, and they were writing over against of the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king. And the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing. 6Then the king, his countenance changed about him, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked, this against this.

7The king called out with strength to bring in the enchanters, the astrologers,† and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon that, “Any man who can read this writing and show to me its interpretation, with purple he shall be clothed, and a chain of gold shall be around his neck, and as the third in the kingdom he shall rule!”

8Then all the wise men of the king came in, and they were not able to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly dismayed, and his countenance was changed about him, so that his nobles were perplexed.

10The queen, because of the words of the king and his nobles, came to the house of the banquet. The queen† answered and said, “O king, may you live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not let your countenance change. 11There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and insight and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him.

And King Nebuchadnezzar your father, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners—your father the king— 12all because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, the interpreting of dreams, and the solution of riddles, and explaining enigmas, were found in him—in this Daniel, whom the king had set as his name Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Are you he, the Daniel who is from the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah? And I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

And the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought before me that they might read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, and they are not able to show the interpretation of the matter. 16And I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and to loosen knots; now, if you are able to read this writing and to make known to me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, and a chain of gold shall be around your neck, and as the third in the kingdom you shall rule!”

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Your gifts, let them be for yourself, and may you give your rewards to another; nevertheless, the writing I will read to the king, and the interpretation I will make known to him. You, O king—God Most High gave the kingdom, and the majesty, and the glory, and the honor, to Nebuchadnezzar your father. And because of the majesty that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages came to be trembling and fearful from before him. Whomever he would be willing, he would be slaying; and whomever he would be willing, he would be keeping alive; and whomever he would be willing, he would be raising up; and whomever he would be willing, he would be bringing low.

And when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to be proud, he was brought down from the throne of his kingship, and they took away his glory from him. And he was driven away from the sons of men, and his heart was made like with the beast, and with the wild donkeys was his dwelling; they fed him grass like oxen, and with the dew of heaven his body became wet, until that he came to know that God Most High is ruling over the kingdom of men, and whomever that He chooses, He establishes over it.

And you, his son,† O Belshazzar, you have not humbled your heart, all even though all of this you knew, 23and against the Lord of heaven you have lifted yourself up. And the vessels of His house they have brought before you, and you, and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines, have been drinking wine from them. And to the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see, and do not hear, and do not have knowledge, you have given praise. And to the God in whose hand is your breath, and all your ways are to Him, you have not shown honor! Then from before Him were sent the fingers of the hand, and this inscription was written.

And this is the inscription that was written:

Mene, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

26This is the interpretation of each word:

Mene—† God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end!

27Tekel—† you have been weighed in the balances and found lacking!

28Peres—† your kingdom has been divided and given to the Mede and Persian!”

29Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel in purple, and a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30That night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans† was slain; 31and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, a son of sixty-two years.

Footnotes:

1 Some translators (Many years later) Belshazzar to account for the time elapsed, probably about 30 years, since the previous chapter.
2 Or predecessor or grandfather; also in verses 11, 13, and 18
7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11
10 Or queen mother
22 Or descendant or successor or grandson
26 Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered.
27 Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed.
28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia.
30 That is, the Babylonians