The Mysterious Writing on the Wall

¹ Belshazzar the king made a great festival for a thousand of his lords,¹ and ⌞in the presence of⌟² the thousand lords he was drinking wine.³

1. Or “nobles”
2. Literally “to over against”
3. Or “the wine”

² ⌞When he tasted the wine⌟,¹ Belshazzar commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his ⌞predecessor⌟² had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords,³ his wives and his concubines may drink from them.

1. Literally “At the taste of the wine”
2. Literally “father”
3. Or “nobles”

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,¹ his wives and his concubines drank from them.

1. Or “nobles”

⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.¹

1. All these metals have the definite article that does not have to be translated into English to retain the meaning

⁵ ⌞Immediately⌟¹ ⌞human fingers⌟² appeared and they wrote ⌞opposite⌟³ the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching⁴ the palm of the hand that was writing.

1. Literally “In its the hour”
2. Literally “fingers of the hand of a man”
3. Literally “to over against”
4. Or “gazing at”

⁶ Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and ⌞his hip joints gave way⌟¹ and ⌞his knees knocked together⌟.²

1. Literally “the limbs of his hip became loose”
2. Literally “his knees this to this they knocked together”

⁷ The king cried ⌞aloud⌟¹ to bring in the conjurers,² the ⌞astrologers⌟³ and the diviners; the king ⌞spoke⌟⁴ 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.”

1. Literally “with strength”
2. Or “enchanters”
3. Literally “Chaldeans”
4. Literally “answered”

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.¹

1. Aramaic “the explanation/ interpretation”

⁹ Then the king, Belshazzar, became greatly terrified, and ⌞his facial features⌟¹ changed upon him, and his lords² were perplexed.

1. Literally “shining of his face”
2. Or “nobles”

¹⁰ Because of the words of the king and his lords,¹ the queen came into ⌞the banqueting hall⌟² and the queen ⌞spoke up⌟³ and said, “O king, live ⌞forever⌟,⁴ and let not your thoughts terrify you and do not let your facial expressions ⌞grow pale⌟.⁵

1. Or “nobles”
2. Literally “the house of the drinking”
3. Literally “answered”
4. Literally “to eternity”
5. Literally “change”

¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom ⌞who has the spirit of the holy gods in him⌟.¹ And in the days of your ⌞predecessor⌟,² enlightenment and insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and, O king, Nebuchadnezzar your ⌞predecessor⌟³ appointed him as chief of the magicians,⁴ the conjurers,⁵ the ⌞astrologers⌟,⁶ and the diviners. Your ⌞predecessor⌟⁷ the king did this

1. Literally “who the spirit of holy gods is in him”
2. Literally “father”
3. Literally “father”
4. Or “soothsayer-priests”
5. Or “enchanters”
6. Literally “Chaldeans”
7. Literally “father”

¹² ⌞because⌟¹ 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⌟² Belteshazzar. Now, let Daniel be called and he will tell the explanation.”³

1. Literally “all of because that”
2. Literally “whom the king gave his name”
3. Or “interpretation”

Daniel Deciphers and Interprets the Writing

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king, and the king ⌞spoke⌟¹ and said to Daniel, “You are Daniel ⌞who are one of the exiles⌟² of Judah³ whom my ⌞predecessor⌟,⁴ the king, brought from Judah.⁵

1. Literally “answered”
2. Literally “who from sons of the exile”
3. Aramaic “Jehud”
4. Literally “father”
5. Aramaic “Jehud”

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 conjurers¹ were brought in before me so that they could read this writing in order to make its explanation² known to me, but they were not able to disclose the explanation³ of the matter.

1. Or “enchanters”
2. Or “interpretation”
3. Or “interpretation”

¹⁶ But I have heard concerning you that you are able ⌞to produce interpretations⌟¹ and to solve riddles; now if you are able to read the writing and to make known its explanation² 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.”

1. Literally “to interpret interpretations”
2. Or “interpretation”

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.¹

1. Or “interpretation”

¹⁸ ⌞O king⌟,¹ the Most High God gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your ⌞predecessor⌟.²

1. Literally “You, O king”
2. Literally “father”

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⌟¹ his heart became arrogant and his spirit became hard so as to act proudly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and the² glory ⌞was taken away from him⌟.³

1. Literally “as that”
2. Or “his”
3. Literally “they took away”

²¹ And he was driven away ⌞from human society⌟¹ and his mind was made like the animals² and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and ⌞he was given⌟³ grass like oxen to eat, and with⁴ 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⌟⁵ he wants he sets over it.

1. Literally “from the sons of the humankind”
2. Aramaic “with the animals”
3. Literally “they gave him”
4. Aramaic “from”
5. Literally “to from that”

²² “But you his ⌞successor⌟,¹ Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart ⌞even though⌟² you knew all this.

1. Literally “son”
2. Literally “all of because that”

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,¹ your wives and your concubines, have been drinking wine from² them, and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone³ that do not see and do not hear and do not know, but the God ⌞who holds your life in his hand⌟⁴ and all of your ways ⌞come from him⌟,⁵ you have not honored.

1. Or “nobles”
2. Aramaic “with”
3. All the materials in this list have the definite article that does not have to be translated into English
4. Literally “who your breath is in his hand”
5. Literally “belong to him”

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:¹ ‘Mene’—God has numbered your kingdom and brought an end to it.

1. Or “word, message”

²⁷ “ ‘Tekel’—you have been weighed on scales and you have been found wanting.¹

1. Or “deficient”

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⌟¹ Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

1. Literally “In it, in the night”

^{31 1} And Darius the Mede received the kingdom ⌞when he was about sixty-two years old⌟.²

1. Daniel 5:31–6:28 in the English Bible is 6:1–29 in the Hebrew Bible
2. Literally “when a son of sixty and two years”