Daniel 5

¹ King Belshazzar held a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and drank wine in their presence.

² Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels to be brought that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines were to drink from them.

³ So they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

⁴ They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

⁵ At that very moment, fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing, opposite the lampstand, on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king watched the palm of the hand as it wrote.

⁶ Then the king’s face changed, and his thoughts terrified him. His hip joints gave way, and his knees knocked against each other.

⁷ The king shouted loudly for the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners to be brought in. He spoke to the wise men of Babylon and said, “Anyone who reads this writing and tells me its interpretation will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain around his neck, and rule as third in the kingdom.”

⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make its interpretation known to the king.

⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified. His face changed, and his nobles were troubled.

¹⁰ Because of the king’s words and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. She spoke and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you or your face change.”

¹¹ “There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father, light, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners—your father, O king.

¹² For an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and untie knots were found in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be summoned, and he will make the interpretation known.”

¹³ Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah whom the king, my father, brought from Judah?

¹⁴ I have heard about you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light, understanding, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.

¹⁵ Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not explain what the words meant.

¹⁶ I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and untie knots. Now, if you can read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, you will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain around your neck, and rule as third in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered before the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else. Even so, I will read the writing to the king and make the interpretation known.

¹⁸ As for you, O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.

¹⁹ Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He put to death whomever he wished, kept alive whomever he wished, exalted whomever he wished, and humbled whomever he wished.

²⁰ But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened with arrogance, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his honor was taken from him.

²¹ He was driven away from among people, and his heart became like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was soaked with the dew of heaven. This continued until he recognized that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of humankind and sets over it whomever he wishes.

²² And you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.

²³ You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels of his house were brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, or know; but you did not honor the God who holds your breath in his hand and to whom all your ways belong.

²⁴ Then the palm of the hand was sent from his presence, and this writing was inscribed.

²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the words: Mene—God has counted the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.

²⁷ Tekel—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

²⁸ Peres—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave the order, and Daniel was dressed in purple, a gold chain was put around his neck, and it was proclaimed concerning him that he would rule as third in the kingdom.

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app