Daniel 5:27
New International Version
Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

New Living Translation
Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.

English Standard Version
Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;

Berean Standard Bible
TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

King James Bible
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

New King James Version
TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

New American Standard Bible
‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

NASB 1995
“’TEKEL ‘— you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

NASB 1977
“ ‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.

Amplified Bible
‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales [of righteousness] and found deficient;

Christian Standard Bible
‘Tekel’ means that you have been weighed on the balance and found deficient.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient.

American Standard Version
TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

English Revised Version
TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Weighed-you have been weighed on a scale and found to be too light.

Good News Translation
weight, you have been weighed on the scales and found to be too light;

International Standard Version
TEKEL: You've been weighed on the scales—and you don't measure up.

Majority Standard Bible
TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

NET Bible
As for teqel--you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking.

New Heart English Bible
TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

Webster's Bible Translation
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

World English Bible
TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Weighed—You are weighed in the balances, and have been found lacking.

Young's Literal Translation
Weighed -- Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking.

Smith's Literal Translation
Tekel; Thou shalt be weighed in the balances and be found wanting.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.

Catholic Public Domain Version
THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.

New American Bible
, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;

New Revised Standard Version
tekel , you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
TEKEL, You are weighed in the balances and found wanting.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
‘Teqel’ ‘You are weighed in a balance and you are found lacking’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
TEKEL, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found wanting.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
26And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”…

Cross References
Job 31:6
let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.

Proverbs 16:2
All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.

Proverbs 21:2
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.

1 Samuel 2:3
Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.

Psalm 62:9
Lowborn men are but a vapor; the exalted are but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor.

Isaiah 26:7
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.

Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?

Ezekiel 18:24
But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.

Ezekiel 33:12-13
Therefore, son of man, say to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked man cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. Nor will the righteous man be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.’ / If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but he then trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, then none of his righteous works will be remembered; he will die because of the iniquity he has committed.

Amos 8:7
The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget any of their deeds.

Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

Luke 16:2
So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

Luke 16:15
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.


Treasury of Scripture

TEKEL; You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

Thou.

Job 31:6
Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

Psalm 62:9
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

Jeremiah 6:30
Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

art.

Matthew 22:11,12
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: …

1 Corinthians 3:13
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

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Balances Deficient Found Lacking Scales TEKEL Wanting Weighed Weight
Daniel 5
1. Belshazzar's impious feast.
5. A hand-writing unknown to the magicians, troubles the king.
10. At the commendation of the queen Daniel is brought.
17. He, reproving the king of pride and idolatry,
25. reads and interprets the writing.
30. The monarchy is translated to the Medes














TEKEL
This term is part of the mysterious writing on the wall during Belshazzar's feast. It is an Aramaic word meaning "weighed." In the context of ancient Near Eastern cultures, weights and measures were crucial for trade and justice, symbolizing fairness and integrity. The use of "TEKEL" signifies divine judgment, as God is portrayed as the ultimate judge who weighs the actions and hearts of individuals and nations.

means that you have been weighed
The imagery of weighing suggests a divine assessment of Belshazzar's reign. In biblical terms, God often evaluates the moral and spiritual weight of individuals and nations. This concept is echoed in Proverbs 16:2, where it states that the Lord weighs the spirit. The metaphor of scales is used to convey the idea of justice and righteousness, as seen in Job 31:6, where Job desires to be weighed in honest scales.

on the scales
Scales were a common tool in ancient commerce, symbolizing fairness and balance. In a spiritual sense, they represent God's standard of righteousness. The scales imply that there is an objective measure against which Belshazzar's actions are judged. This reflects the biblical principle that God is just and His judgments are true, as seen in Psalm 62:9, where people are weighed on a balance and found to be lighter than a breath.

and found deficient.
The verdict of being "deficient" indicates that Belshazzar has failed to meet God's standards. This deficiency is not merely in terms of political or military prowess but in moral and spiritual terms. The concept of being found wanting is a warning that echoes throughout scripture, such as in Romans 3:23, which states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This phrase underscores the theme of divine retribution and the need for repentance, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of justice through Jesus Christ, who provides the means to be justified before God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Belshazzar
The king of Babylon during the time of this event. He is known for his pride and sacrilegious actions, such as using the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple for a feast.

2. Daniel
A prophet and wise man in Babylon, known for his ability to interpret dreams and visions. He is called upon to interpret the mysterious writing on the wall.

3. Babylon
The empire and city where this event takes place. It is a symbol of human pride and opposition to God throughout the Bible.

4. The Writing on the Wall
A miraculous event where a hand appears and writes a message on the wall during Belshazzar's feast. The message is a divine judgment against Belshazzar.

5. The Scales
Symbolic of God's judgment, representing the divine standard by which human actions are measured.
Teaching Points
Divine Judgment is Inevitable
Just as Belshazzar was judged, all people will face God's judgment. We must live with an awareness of this reality.

God's Standards are Unchanging
The scales represent God's perfect and unchanging standards. We must align our lives with His Word.

Pride Leads to Downfall
Belshazzar's pride and disregard for God led to his downfall. Humility and reverence for God are essential.

The Importance of Repentance
Unlike Belshazzar, we have the opportunity to repent and seek God's forgiveness through Christ.

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
The fall of Babylon reminds us that God is sovereign over all nations and rulers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
TEKEL
תְּקֵ֑ל (tə·qêl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8625: To balance

means that you have been weighed
תְּקִ֥ילְתָּה (tə·qî·lə·tāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8625: To balance

on the scales
בְמֹֽאזַנְיָ֖א (ḇə·mō·zan·yā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural determinate
Strong's 3977: A pair of scales

and found
וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֥חַתְּ (wə·hiš·tə·ḵa·ḥat)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7912: To discover

deficient.
חַסִּֽיר׃ (ḥas·sîr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2627: Lacking, wanting, deficient


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OT Prophets: Daniel 5:27 TEKEL (Dan. Da Dn)
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