At the same hour appeared fingers of a man’s hand, which wrote over [a]against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.

Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his [b]knees smote one against the other.

Wherefore the king cried loud, that they should bring [c]the astrologians, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babel, Whosoever can read this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 5:5 That it might the better be seen.
  2. Daniel 5:6 So he that before contemned God, was moved by this sight to tremble for fear of God’s judgments.
  3. Daniel 5:7 Thus the wicked in their troubles seek many means, who draw them from God, because they seek not to him who is the only comfort in all afflictions.

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. His face turned pale(A) and he was so frightened(B) that his legs became weak(C) and his knees were knocking.(D)

The king summoned the enchanters,(E) astrologers[a](F) and diviners.(G) Then he said to these wise(H) men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,(I) and he will be made the third(J) highest ruler in the kingdom.”(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 5:7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11