# Is “Weighed in the balance and found wanting” in the Bible?

> Yes. “Weighed in the balance and found wanting” comes from the Bible, from Daniel 5:27.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/weighed-in-the-balance-and-found-wanting
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

Daniel says it to King Belshazzar, reading the writing on the wall.

## The verse

> Tekel: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
>
> — [Daniel 5:27](https://www.lumin.faith/read/daniel/5#27) (Lumin Translation)

The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse.

## What it means there

It is the meaning of the word Tekel. God has weighed the king, and he does not measure up. Belshazzar is killed that night (Daniel 5:30).

## Common questions

### Is “Weighed in the balance and found wanting” in the Bible?

Yes. “Weighed in the balance and found wanting” comes from the Bible, from Daniel 5:27. The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse. Daniel says it to King Belshazzar, reading the writing on the wall.

### Where in the Bible is “Weighed in the balance and found wanting”?

In Daniel 5:27. In the Lumin Translation, Daniel 5:27 reads: “Tekel: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.”

### Who said “Weighed in the balance and found wanting”?

Daniel says it to King Belshazzar, reading the writing on the wall.

### What does “Weighed in the balance and found wanting” mean in the Bible?

It is the meaning of the word Tekel. God has weighed the king, and he does not measure up. Belshazzar is killed that night (Daniel 5:30).

## More

- [Where is “For I know the plans I have for you” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/for-i-know-the-plans-i-have-for-you.md)
- [Where is “My grace is sufficient for you” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/my-grace-is-sufficient-for-you.md)
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- [Where is “A friend loves at all times” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-friend-loves-at-all-times.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)