Belshazzar’s Feast

5 Belshazzar the king ^[a]held a great ^(A)feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. ^2 [b]While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver ^(B)vessels which his ^[c]father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them. ³ Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them. ⁴ They ^(C)drank the wine and praised the gods of ^(D)gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵ Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. ⁶ Then the king’s ^[d](E)face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his ^(F)hip joints ^[e]loosened and his ^(G)knees began knocking together. ⁷ The king called aloud to bring in the ^(H)sorcerers, the ^[f]Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be ^(I)clothed with purple and have a ^(J)necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as ^(K)third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but ^(L)they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^(M)alarmed, his ^[g](N)face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.

¹⁰ The queen entered the banquet ^[h]hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “^(O)O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your ^[i]face be pale. ¹¹ There is a ^(P)man in your kingdom in whom is ^[j]a ^(Q)spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father ^[k](R)the king—appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners. ¹² This was because an ^(S)extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named ^(T)Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the ^[l](U)exiles from Judah, whom my father the king ^(V)brought from Judah? ¹⁴ Now I have heard about you that ^[m]a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. ¹⁵ Just now the ^(W)wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they ^(X)could not declare the interpretation of the ^[n]message. ¹⁶ But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its ^(Y)interpretation known to me, you will be ^(Z)clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “^[o]Keep your ^(AA)gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. ^18 [p]O king, the ^(AB)Most High God ^(AC)granted ^[q]sovereignty, ^(AD)greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. ¹⁹ Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ^[r]languages trembled and feared in his presence; ^(AE)whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled. ²⁰ But when his heart ^[s]was ^(AF)arrogant and his spirit became so ^[t](AG)overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was ^(AH)deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him. ²¹ He was also ^(AI)driven away from ^[u]mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the ^(AJ)wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the ^(AK)Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. ²² Yet you, his ^[v]son, Belshazzar, have ^(AL)not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, ²³ but you have ^(AM)risen up against the ^(AN)Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the ^(AO)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God ^(AP)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ^(AQ)ways, you have not glorified. ²⁴ Then the ^[w](AR)hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

²⁵ “Now this is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the ^[ab]message: ‘Menē’—God has numbered your kingdom and ^(AS)put an end to it. ²⁷ ‘Tekēl’—you have been ^(AT)weighed on the scales and found deficient. ²⁸ ‘^[ac]Perēs’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the ^(AU)Medes and ^[ad]Persians.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they ^(AV)clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰ That same night ^(AW)Belshazzar the Chaldean king was ^(AX)killed. ^31 [ae]So ^(AY)Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

Daniel Serves Darius

6 ^[af]It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, to be in charge of the whole kingdom, ² and over them, three commissioners (of whom ^(AZ)Daniel was one), so that these satraps would be accountable to them, and that the king would not ^[ag]suffer ^(BA)loss. ³ Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself ^[ah]among the commissioners and satraps because ^[ai]he possessed an ^(BB)extraordinary spirit, and the king intended to appoint him over the ^(BC)entire kingdom. ⁴ Then the commissioners and satraps began ^(BD)trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel regarding ^[aj]government affairs; but they could find ^(BE)no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him regarding the ^(BF)law of his God.”

⁶ Then these commissioners and satraps came ^[ak]by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, ^(BG)live forever! ⁷ All the ^(BH)commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have ^(BI)consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall ^(BJ)be thrown into the lions’ ^[al]den. ⁸ Now, O king, ^(BK)establish the injunction and sign the document so that it will not be changed, according to the ^(BL)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[am]may not be revoked.” ⁹ Thereupon, King Darius ^(BM)signed the document, that is, the injunction.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open ^(BN)toward Jerusalem); and he continued ^(BO)kneeling on his knees three times a day, ^(BP)praying and ^(BQ)offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously. ¹¹ Then these men came ^[an](BR)by agreement and found Daniel offering a prayer and imploring favor before his God. ¹² Then they approached and ^(BS)spoke before the king about the king’s injunction: “Did you not sign an injunction that any person who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the ^(BT)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[ao]may not be revoked.” ¹³ Then they responded and spoke before the king, “^(BU)Daniel, who is one of the ^[ap]exiles from Judah, pays ^(BV)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps offering his prayer three times a day.”

¹⁴ Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply ^(BW)distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him. ¹⁵ Then these men came ^[aq]by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a ^(BX)law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁶ Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and ^(BY)thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “^[ar](BZ)Your God whom you continually serve will Himself rescue you.” ¹⁷ And a ^(CA)stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed regarding Daniel. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night ^(CB)fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his ^(CC)sleep fled from him.

¹⁹ Then the king got up at dawn, at the break of day, and went in a hurry to the lions’ den. ²⁰ And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has ^(CD)your God, whom you continually serve, been ^(CE)able to rescue you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel spoke ^[as]to the king, “^(CF)O king, live forever! ²² My God ^(CG)sent His angel and ^(CH)shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, since ^[at]I was found innocent before Him; and also ^[au]toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” ²³ Then the king was very glad and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and ^(CI)no injury whatever was found on him, because he had ^(CJ)trusted in his God. ²⁴ The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had ^[av]maliciously accused Daniel, and they ^(CK)threw them, their ^(CL)children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

²⁵ Then Darius the king wrote to all the ^(CM)peoples, nations, and populations of all ^[aw]languages who were living in all the land: “^(CN)May your ^[ax]peace be great! ^26 [ay]I ^(CO)issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel;

²⁸ So this ^(CT)Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of ^(CU)Cyrus the Persian.

Abandonment of Faith

4 But ^(A)the Spirit explicitly says that ^(B)in later times some will ^[a]fall away from the faith, paying attention to ^(C)deceitful spirits and ^(D)teachings of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of liars ^(E)seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, ³ who ^(F)forbid marriage and advocate ^(G)abstaining from foods which ^(H)God has created to be ^(I)gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For ^(J)everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is ^(K)received with gratitude; ⁵ for it is sanctified by means of ^(L)the word of God and prayer.

A Good Minister’s Discipline

⁶ In pointing out these things to ^(M)the brothers and sisters, you will be a good ^(N)servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the ^(O)good doctrine which you ^(P)have been following. ⁷ But ^[b]stay away from ^(Q)worthless ^(R)stories that are typical of old women. Rather, ^[c]discipline yourself for the purpose of ^(S)godliness; ⁸ for ^(T)bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but ^(U)godliness is beneficial for all things, since it ^(V)holds promise for the ^(W)present life and also for the life to come. ^9 (X)It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set ^(Y)our hope on ^(Z)the living God, who is ^(AA)the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.

^11 [d](AB)Prescribe and teach these things. ^12 (AC)Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, ^(AD)love, faith, and purity, show yourself ^(AE)an example ^[e]of those who believe. ^13 (AF)Until I come, give your attention to the public ^[f](AG)reading, to exhortation, and teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was granted to you through words of ^(AH)prophecy with ^(AI)the laying on of hands by the ^[g](AJ)council of elders. ¹⁵ Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. ^16 (AK)Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ^(AL)save both yourself and those who hear you.

Honor Widows

5 ^(AM)Do not sharply rebuke an ^(AN)older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to ^(AO)the younger men as brothers, ² to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows who are actually ^(AP)widows; ⁴ but if any widow has children or grandchildren, ^(AQ)they must first learn to show proper respect for their own family and to give back compensation to their parents; for this is ^(AR)acceptable in the sight of God. ⁵ Now she who is actually a ^(AS)widow and has been left alone ^(AT)has set her hope on God, and she continues in ^(AU)requests and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who ^(AV)indulges herself in luxury is ^(AW)dead, even while she lives. ^7 [h](AX)Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has ^(AY)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ A widow is to be ^(AZ)put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been ^(BA)the wife of one man, ¹⁰ having a reputation for ^(BB)good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has ^(BC)shown hospitality to strangers, if she ^(BD)has washed the ^[i]saints’ feet, if she has ^(BE)assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel ^(BF)physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married, ¹² thereby incurring condemnation, because they have ^[j]ignored their previous pledge. ¹³ At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become ^(BG)gossips and ^(BH)busybodies, talking about ^(BI)things not proper to mention. ¹⁴ Therefore, I want younger widows to get ^(BJ)married, have children, ^(BK)manage their households, and ^(BL)give the enemy no opportunity for reproach; ¹⁵ for some ^(BM)have already turned away to follow ^(BN)Satan. ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer ^(BO)has dependent widows, she must ^(BP)assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are actually ^(BQ)widows.

Concerning Elders

^17 (BR)The elders who ^(BS)lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who ^(BT)work hard ^[k]at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “^(BU)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “^(BV)The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not accept an accusation against an ^(BW)elder except on the basis of ^(BX)two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who continue in sin, ^(BY)rebuke in the presence of all, ^(BZ)so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. ^21 (CA)I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. ^22 (CB)Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and ^[l]thereby share ^(CC)responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself ^[m]free from sin.

²³ Do not go on drinking only water, but ^(CD)use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴ The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins ^(CE)follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and ^(CF)those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

Instructions to Those Who Minister

6 ^(CG)All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor ^(CH)so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be ^[n]spoken against. ² Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are ^(CI)brothers or sisters, but must serve them all the more, because those who ^[o]partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. ^(CJ)Teach and ^[p]preach these principles.

³ If anyone ^(CK)advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[q]agree with ^(CL)sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine ^(CM)conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is ^(CN)conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[r]has a sick craving for ^(CO)controversial questions and ^(CP)disputes about words, from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between ^(CQ)people of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who ^(CR)suppose that ^[s]godliness is a means of gain. ^6 (CS)But godliness actually is a means of ^(CT)great gain when accompanied by ^(CU)contentment. ⁷ For ^(CV)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. ⁸ If we ^(CW)have food and ^[t]covering, with these we shall be content. ^9 (CX)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and ^(CY)a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For ^(CZ)the love of money is a root of all ^[u]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have ^(DA)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many ^[v]griefs.

¹¹ But ^(DB)flee from these things, you ^(DC)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, ^(DD)faith, ^(DE)love, ^[w]perseverance, and gentleness. ^12 (DF)Fight the good fight of ^(DG)faith; ^(DH)take hold of the eternal life ^(DI)to which you were called, and for which you made the good ^(DJ)confession in the presence of ^(DK)many witnesses. ^13 (DL)I direct you in the presence of God, who ^[x]gives life to all things, and of ^(DM)Christ Jesus, who testified the ^(DN)good confession ^(DO)before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without ^[y]fault or reproach until the ^(DP)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[z]bring about at ^(DQ)the proper time—He who is ^(DR)the blessed and ^(DS)only Sovereign, ^(DT)the King of ^[aa]kings and ^(DU)Lord of ^[ab]lords, ^16 (DV)who alone possesses immortality and ^(DW)dwells in unapproachable light, ^(DX)whom ^[ac]no one has seen or can see. ^(DY)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in ^(DZ)this present world ^(EA)not to be conceited or to ^(EB)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, ^(EC)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in ^(ED)good ^[ad]works, ^(EE)to be generous and ready to share, ^19 (EF)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may ^(EG)take hold of that which is truly life.

^20 (EH)Timothy, protect ^(EI)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding ^(EJ)worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— ²¹ which some have professed and thereby have ^(EK)gone astray ^[ae]from ^(EL)the faith.

^(EM)Grace be with you.