Daniel 5

1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand nobles and drank wine in front of them. 2 As Belshazzar tasted the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought in, so that the king, his nobles, his mistresses, and his concubines could drink from them. 3 So the gold and silver vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his nobles, his mistresses, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote opposite the lamp on the plaster wall of the royal palace. The king saw the knuckles of the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s face changed, and his thoughts terrified him. His hips gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king cried out for the magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers to be brought in. He told Babylon’s wise men, “Whoever reads this writing and explains its interpretation to me will be clothed in purple, wear a gold chain around his neck, and rule as third in my kingdom.” 8 All the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or explain its interpretation to the king. 9 King Belshazzar became deeply troubled, his face changed, and his nobles were perplexed.

10 The queen entered the banquet hall and said, “King, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you or your face change.” 11 “There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of God in him. In your father’s days, alertness and understanding were found in him. Your father King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him chief of the chanters, magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.” 12 “An extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding are in Daniel. He can interpret dreams, answer difficult questions, and solve problems. The king named him Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel now, and he will tell you its interpretation.” 13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judea whom my father the king brought here?” 14 “I have heard that a spirit of God is in you and that alertness, understanding, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.” 15 “The wise men, magicians, and soothsayers have now been brought before me to read this writing and explain its interpretation, but they could not tell me what it means.” 16 “I have heard that you can interpret things. If you can read the writing and explain its interpretation to me, you will be clothed in purple, wear a gold chain around your neck, and rule as third in my kingdom.”

17 Daniel answered before the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your household’s present to someone else. I will still read the writing and explain its meaning to you.” 18 “King, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory.” 19 “Because of the greatness God gave him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled in fear before him. He killed whomever he wanted, struck whomever he wanted, exalted whomever he wanted, and humbled whomever he wanted.” 20 “But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became proud and arrogant, he was removed from his royal throne and stripped of his honor.” 21 “He was driven away from people, and his heart was made like a wild animal’s. He lived with the wild donkeys, was fed grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with heaven’s dew, until he knew that the Most High God is Lord over every human kingdom and gives it to whomever he pleases.” 22 “But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart before God, even though you knew all this.” 23 “You have exalted yourself against the Lord God of heaven. They brought you the vessels from his house, and you, your nobles, your mistresses, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that cannot see, hear, or know. But you have not honored the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.” 24 “Therefore the knuckles of a hand were sent from his presence, and this writing was inscribed.” 25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Tekel, Peres.” [b] 26 “This is the interpretation: Mene—God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.” 27 “Tekel—it was weighed on the scales and found lacking.” 28 “Peres—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the order, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That same night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 31 Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was sixty-two years old. [a]