Daniel 5:13-31

English Standard Version

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of ^(A)the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. ¹⁴ I have heard of you that ^(B)the spirit of the gods^[a] is in you, and that ^(C)light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵ Now ^(D)the wise men, the ^(E)enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but ^(F)they could not show the interpretation of the matter. ^16 (G)But I have heard that you can give interpretations and ^(H)solve problems. ^(I)Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, ^(J)you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and ^(K)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ^(L)“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸ O king, the ^(M)Most High God ^(N)gave ^(O)Nebuchadnezzar your father ^(P)kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, ^(Q)all peoples, nations, and languages ^(R)trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. ²⁰ But ^(S)when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, ^(T)he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. ^21 (U)He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^(V)until he knew that the ^(W)Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. ²² And you his son,^{[b] (X)}Belshazzar, ^(Y)have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, ²³ but you have lifted up yourself against ^(Z)the Lord of heaven. And ^(AA)the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. ^(AB)And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, ^(AC)but the God in whose hand is your breath, and ^(AD)whose are all your ways, ^(AE)you have not honored.

²⁴ “Then from his presence ^(AF)the hand was sent, 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 matter: Mene, God has numbered^[c] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ Tekel, ^(AG)you have been weighed^[d] in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^(AH)the Medes and ^(AI)Persians.”^[e]

²⁹ Then ^(AJ)Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel ^(AK)was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

^30 (AL)That very night ^(AM)Belshazzar the ^(AN)Chaldean king was killed. ^31 [f] And ^(AO)Darius ^(AP)the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.