Daniel 5 13-30
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
15Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him. 18As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. 19Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. 24Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25Now this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
26And this is the interpretation of the message:
MENEf means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27TEKELg means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28PERESh means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeansi was slain, 31and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
15Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him. 18As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. 19Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
20But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. 24Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25Now this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
26And this is the interpretation of the message:
MENEf means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27TEKELg means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28PERESh means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeansi was slain, 31and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
