Daniel 5:13-29

New American Standard Bible

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 ^[a](A)exiles from Judah, whom my father the king ^(B)brought from Judah? ¹⁴ Now I have heard about you that ^[b]a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. ¹⁵ Just now the ^(C)wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they ^(D)could not declare the interpretation of the ^[c]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 ^(E)interpretation known to me, you will be ^(F)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, “^[d]Keep your ^(G)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 [e]O king, the ^(H)Most High God ^(I)granted ^[f]sovereignty, ^(J)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 ^[g]languages trembled and feared in his presence; ^(K)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 ^[h]was ^(L)arrogant and his spirit became so ^[i](M)overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was ^(N)deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him. ²¹ He was also ^(O)driven away from ^[j]mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the ^(P)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 ^(Q)Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. ²² Yet you, his ^[k]son, Belshazzar, have ^(R)not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, ²³ but you have ^(S)risen up against the ^(T)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 ^(U)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God ^(V)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ^(W)ways, you have not glorified. ²⁴ Then the ^[l](X)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 ^[q]message: ‘Mene’—God has numbered your kingdom and ^(Y)put an end to it. ²⁷ ‘Tekel’—you have been ^(Z)weighed on the scales and found deficient. ²⁸ ‘^[r]Peres’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the ^(AA)Medes and ^[s]Persians.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they ^(AB)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.