1 King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.

2 As they were tasting the wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver
utensils which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in
Jerusalem be brought to him. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his
wives, and his concubines.A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer
rights under the law.
3 So the servants brought the gold utensils that had been taken from Gods temple
in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4 They
drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, or
stone.
5 Suddenly, the fingers of a persons hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall
opposite the lamp stand of the royal palace. The king watched as the hand wrote. 6
Then the king turned pale, and his thoughts frightened him. His hip joints became
loose, and his knees knocked against each other.
7 The king screamed for the psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers to be brought
to him. He told these wise advisers of Babylon, Whoever reads this writing and
tells me its meaning will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain on his neck, and
become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom. 8 All the kings wise advisers
came, but they couldnt read the writing or tell the king its meaning. 9 King
Belshazzar was terrified, and his face turned pale. His nobles didnt know what to
do.
10 The discussion between the king and his nobles brought the queen herself into
the banquet hall. The queen said, Your Majesty, may you live forever! Dont let
your thoughts frighten you, and dont turn pale. 11 Theres a man in your kingdom
who has the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your grandfather, he was found
to have insight, good judgment, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your
grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him head of the magicians, psychics,
astrologers, and fortunetellers. 12 This Daniel (who had been renamed Belteshazzar)
was found to have knowledge, judgment, and an extraordinary spirit. He has the
ability to interpret dreams, solve riddles, and untangle problems. Now, call
Daniel, and he will tell ?you? what it means.
13 So Daniel was taken to the king. The king asked him, Are you Daniel, one of the
captives that my grandfather brought from Judah? 14 Ive heard that you have the
spirit of the gods and that you have insight, good judgment, and extraordinary
wisdom. 15 The wise advisers and the psychics were brought to me to read this
writing and tell me its meaning. But they couldnt tell me its meaning. 16 I have
heard that you can interpret such things and untangle problems. If you can read the
writing and tell ?me? its meaning, you will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain
on your neck, and become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom.
17 Daniel told the king, Keep your gifts. Give your gifts and awards to someone
else. Ill still read the writing for you and tell you its meaning.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom,
might, honor, and glory. 19 People from every province, nation, and language
trembled and were terrified by him, because God gave him power. Nebuchadnezzar
killed whomever he wanted to kill, and he kept alive whomever he wanted to keep
alive. He promoted whomever he wanted to promote, and he demoted whomever he wanted
to demote. 20 But when he became so arrogant and conceited that he became
overconfident, he was removed from the royal throne. His honor was taken away from
him. 21 He was chased away from people, and his mind was changed into an animals
mind. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet
with dew from the sky. This happened until he realized that the Most High God has
power over human kingdoms. God puts whomever he wishes in charge of them.
22 Belshazzar, you are one of Nebuchadnezzars successors. You didnt remain
humble, even though you knew all this. 23 But you made yourself greater than the
Lord of heaven. You had the utensils from his temple brought to you. You, your
nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods made of
silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. These gods cant see, hear, or know
anything. You didnt honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do.
24 So he sent the hand to write this inscription. 25 This is what has been written:
Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided. 26 This is its meaning: NumberedGod has
numbered the days of your kingdom and will bring it to an end. 27 Weighedyou have
been weighed on a scale and found to be too light. 28 Dividedyour kingdom will be
divided and given to the Medes and Persians. There is a play on words here between
Aramaic peres (divided) and paras (Persians).
29 Then Belshazzar ordered that Daniel be dressed in purple and wear a gold chain
on his neck. He made Daniel the third-highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That night
King Belshazzar of Babylon was killed.Daniel 5:31 in English Bibles is Daniel 6:1
in the Hebrew Bible.31 Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. He was 62 years old.