Daniel 5

The feast and the writing

1King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in front of them. 2As he tasted the wine, Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem’s temple brought in. The king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines were to drink from them. 3So they brought the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4They drank wine and praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5At that moment, fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall of the royal palace, opposite the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6The king turned pale. His thoughts terrified him; his hips gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7He shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. He told Babylon’s wise men, “Whoever reads this writing and explains it to me will wear purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and rule as third in the kingdom.” 8All the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or explain it to the king. 9King Belshazzar grew even more terrified and turned pale. His nobles were bewildered.

Daniel summoned

10The queen heard what the king and his nobles were saying and entered the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you; do not turn pale. 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father’s days he was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar—your father the king—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. 12This Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding for interpreting dreams, explaining riddles, and unraveling difficulties. Summon Daniel now, and he will explain the meaning.” 13Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, understanding, and exceptional wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and explain it, but they could not tell me what it means. 16I have heard that you can explain meanings and unravel difficulties. If you can read the writing and explain it to me, you will wear purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and rule as third in the kingdom.”

The writing interpreted

17Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else. Still, I will read the writing for the king and explain its meaning. 18O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. 19Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled in fear before him. He killed whomever he wished and kept alive whomever he wished; he raised up whomever he wished and brought low whomever he wished. 20But when his heart grew proud and his spirit hardened into arrogance, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven from human society, and his mind became like an animal’s. He lived among wild donkeys, was fed grass like cattle, and was drenched with heaven’s dew, until he knew that the Most High God rules over human kingdoms and appoints whomever he wishes to rule them. 22Yet you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23Instead, you raised yourself against the Lord of heaven. His temple’s vessels were brought before you, and you, your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see, hear, or know. But the God who holds your breath in his hand and owns all your ways—you did not honor him. 24That is why he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed. 25“This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26Here is what the words mean: MENE—God has numbered the days of your kingship and brought it to an end. 27TEKEL—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28PERES—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

The kingdom falls

29Then Belshazzar gave the order: Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. 30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed. 31Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.