DanielChapter 5
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1Later, King Belshazzar gave a big feast for a thousand of his nobles. He drank wine with them. 2The wine went to Belshazzar's head, and he gave an order. He told them to bring in the gold and silver cups. His father Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from the temple in Jerusalem. The king wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3So they brought in the gold cups that had been taken from the temple, God's house in Jerusalem. The king drank from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 4As they drank the wine, they praised their gods. These gods were made of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. 5Right then the fingers of a human hand appeared. They wrote on the plaster of the wall in the royal palace, near the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale. His thoughts frightened him so much that his legs gave way. His knees knocked together. 7The king shouted for the spell-casters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought in. He said to these wise men of Babylon, "Someone must read this writing and tell me what it means. Whoever does will be dressed in purple. A gold chain will be put around his neck. He will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." 8So all the king's wise men came in. But they couldn't read the writing. They couldn't tell the king what it meant. 9Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified. His face turned even paler. His nobles didn't know what to do. 10The queen heard the loud cries of the king and his nobles. So she came into the feast hall. "O king, may you live forever!" she said. "Don't let your thoughts frighten you. Don't let your face be so pale. 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When your father was king, this man was found to be wise. He had insight and understanding like the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him chief of the magicians, spell-casters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers. Yes, your own father the king did this. 12He did it because of Daniel, whom he named Belteshazzar. Daniel was found to have an amazing spirit. He had knowledge and understanding. He could explain dreams and riddles, and he could solve hard problems. So send for Daniel. He will tell you what the writing means." 13So Daniel was brought to the king. The king asked him, "Are you Daniel? Are you one of the captives my father the king brought from Judah? 14I've heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. I've heard that you have insight and understanding and amazing wisdom. 15The wise men and spell-casters were brought to me to read this writing. I wanted them to tell me what it means. But they couldn't explain it. 16But I've heard about you. I've heard you can explain things and solve hard problems. So if you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you'll be dressed in purple. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you'll be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." 17Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts. Give your rewards to someone else. But I will still read the writing for the king. I will tell him what it means. 18O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom. He gave him greatness, glory, and honor. 19God made him very great. So people of every nation and language shook with fear in front of him. He killed anyone he wanted to kill. He let live anyone he wanted to let live. He raised up anyone he wanted. He brought down anyone he wanted. 20But his heart became proud. His spirit became hard and full of pride. So he was taken down from his royal throne. His glory was taken away from him. 21He was driven away from people. His mind became like an animal's mind. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox. His body got wet with the dew from the sky. This went on until he admitted that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of people. God puts anyone he wants in charge of them. 22But you, Belshazzar, are his son. You knew all this. Yet you have not humbled your heart. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. The cups from his house were brought to you. You and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone. Those gods can't see or hear or understand anything. But you did not honor the God who holds your very breath in his hand. He controls everything you do. 24That's why God sent the hand that wrote these words. 25These are the words that were written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26And this is what the words mean. MENE means God has counted the days of your rule. He has brought it to an end.a 27TEKEL means you have been weighed on the scales. And you don't measure up.b 28PERES means your kingdom has been divided. It has been given to the Medes and Persians."c 29Then Belshazzar gave the order. They dressed Daniel in purple. They put a gold chain around his neck. And they announced that he was the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30That same night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed. 31And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. He was 62 years old.