¹⁰ The queen,^[a] hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!”^(A) she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods^(B) in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom^(C) like that of the gods.^(D) Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.^{(E) 12} He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar,^(F) was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles^(G) and solve difficult problems.^(H) Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.^(I)”

¹³ So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?^{(J) 14} I have heard that the spirit of the gods^(K) is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.^{(L) 15} The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.^{(M) 16} Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.^(N) If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck,^(O) and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”^(P)

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.^(Q) Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

¹⁸ “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar^(R) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.^{(S) 19} Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;^(T) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.^{(U) 20} But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,^(V) he was deposed from his royal throne^(W) and stripped^(X) of his glory.^{(Y) 21} He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign^(Z) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.^(AA)

²² “But you, Belshazzar, his son,^[b] have not humbled^(AB) yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against^(AC) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives^(AD) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.^(AE) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life^(AF) and all your ways.^{(AG) 24} Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^(AN) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^(AO)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(AP) king^(AQ) of the Babylonians,^[f] was slain,^{(AR) 31} and Darius^(AS) the Mede^(AT) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.^[g]

Daniel in the Den of Lions

6 ^[h]It pleased Darius^(AU) to appoint 120 satraps^(AV) to rule throughout the kingdom, ² with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.^(AW) The satraps were made accountable^(AX) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. ³ Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.^{(AY) 4} At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^(AZ) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^(BA)

⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^{(BB) 7} The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(BC) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^{(BD) 8} Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^{(BE) 9} So King Darius put the decree in writing.

¹ Jude,^(A) a servant of Jesus Christ^(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,^(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for^[a] Jesus Christ:^(D)

² Mercy, peace^(E) and love be yours in abundance.^(F)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

³ Dear friends,^(G) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,^(H) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend^(I) for the faith^(J) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.^{(K) 4} For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(L) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(M)

⁵ Though you already know all this,^(N) I want to remind you^(O) that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^{(P) 6} And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.^{(Q) 7} In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah^(R) and the surrounding towns^(S) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.^(T)

⁸ In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.^{(U) 9} But even the archangel^(V) Michael,^(W) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,^(X) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”^{[d](Y) 10} Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.^(Z)

¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(AA) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(AB) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(AC)

¹² These people are blemishes at your love feasts,^(AD) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.^(AE) They are clouds without rain,^(AF) blown along by the wind;^(AG) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted^(AH)—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea,^(AI) foaming up their shame;^(AJ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.^(AK)

¹⁴ Enoch,^(AL) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(AM) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^{(AN) 15} to judge^(AO) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^{[e](AP) 16} These people are grumblers^(AQ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(AR) they boast^(AS) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.