Daniel 5:5-7

International Standard Version

The Handwriting on the Wall

⁵ At that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall. ⁶ While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels^[a] and his knees knocked together.

⁷ The king cried out to bring in enchanters,^[b] Chaldeans, and astrologers. He announced to the advisors^[c] of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around his neck, and will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”