5. Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,
6. and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
7. The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”
8. But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.
9. So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.
10. But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.