Daniel 5:1-12 - The Mysterious Writing On The Wall
1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine with them. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar commanded to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the Temple in Jerusalem. This way the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that were taken out of the Temple of the House of God that was at Jerusalem. The king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, silver, copper, iron, wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared, and wrote above the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance (appearance) changed in him. His thoughts troubled him. The joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. / The king spoke to the wise men of Babylon: Whoever reads this writing, and shows me the interpretation of it will be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck. He will be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 All the king's wise men came. But they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation. 9 King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his appearance changed. His lords were perplexed.
10 The queen came into the banquet hall. She said: O king, may you live for a very long time: do not let your thoughts trouble you or change your countenance. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In your fathers day, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding for interpreting dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving doubts. Let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.