The Writing on the Wall

5 King Belshazzar^(A) gave a great banquet^(B) for a thousand of his nobles^(C) and drank wine with them. ² While Belshazzar was drinking^(D) his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets^(E) that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines^(F) might drink from them.^{(G) 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^(H) of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.^(I)

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^(J) and he was so frightened^(K) that his legs became weak^(L) and his knees were knocking.^(M)

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?^{(A) 14} I have heard that the spirit of the gods^(B) is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.^{(C) 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.^{(D) 16} Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.^(E) 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,^(F) and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”^(G)

²² “But you, Belshazzar, his son,^[a] have not humbled^(A) yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against^(B) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives^(C) 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.^(D) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life^(E) and all your ways.^{(F) 24} Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^(M) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^(N)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(O) king^(P) of the Babylonians,^[e] was slain,^{(Q) 31} and Darius^(R) the Mede^(S) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.^[f]