Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Belshazzar the king made a grand feast to a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine in their presence. While he tasted the wine, he commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines might drink from them.

The king brought forth the golden vessels taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and they drank wine and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. In the same hour, fingers of a man's hand emerged and wrote on the plaster wall of the king's palace near the lampstand. The king saw the part of the hand that was writing, and his countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him.

The king cried out to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, saying, "Whoever can read this writing and explain its meaning will be greatly rewarded." Then all the king's wise men came before him, but they could not read the writing nor make known to the king its interpretation. King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his countenance changed in him, with his lords perplexed.

The queen entered the banquet hall because of the king's and his lords' words, saying, "Live forever, O king; do not let your thoughts trouble you or change your expression." She told the king about a man in his kingdom who possessed an excellent spirit and knowledge, with the ability to interpret dreams and unravel complex sentences. That man was Daniel, whom King Nebuchadnezzar had named Belteshazzar.

Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, "Are you that Daniel, whom my father, King Nebuchadnezzar, brought from Judah among those taken captive?" The king said he had heard of Daniel's extraordinary gifts, including light, understanding, and excellent wisdom. He also told Daniel about the wise men who could not read or explain the mysterious writing.

Daniel replied to the king, "Keep your gifts; give them to someone else. I will read the writing and interpret it for you." The Most High God had given Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, majesty, glory, and honor, but when his heart was lifted up in pride, he was deposed from his throne. Daniel told Belshazzar that he, like his father, had not humbled his heart before the Lord of heaven.

Belshazzar had exalted himself against God by drinking wine from sacred vessels and praising gods who did not see, hear, or know. The mysterious writing on the wall was a message from God, declaring that Belshazzar's kingdom would be brought to an end because he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting.

The writing read: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end. You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar commanded that Daniel be clothed with purple and a golden chain be put around his neck, proclaiming him as the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night, Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom at about sixty-two years old.