Daniel 5

The Mysterious Writing Daniel 5:5–12

⁵Verse 5. In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. ⁶Verse 6. Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another. ⁷Verse 7. The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

⁸Verse 8. Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹Verse 9. Then king Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed. ¹⁰Verse 10. The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. ¹¹Verse 11. There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king Nebuchadnezzar your father, yes, the king, your father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

¹²Verse 12. because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel's Introduction Daniel 5:13–16

¹³Verse 13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? ¹⁴Verse 14. I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵Verse 15. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. ¹⁶Verse 16. But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations, and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Daniel's Rebuke Daniel 5:17–24

¹⁷Verse 17. Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸Verse 18. “You, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. ¹⁹Verse 19. Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to.

²⁰Verse 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. ²¹Verse 21. He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will. ²²Verse 22. “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

²³Verse 23. but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways. ²⁴Verse 24. Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

The Interpretation and Fall Daniel 5:25–31

²⁵Verse 25. “This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’ ²⁶Verse 26. “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end. ²⁷Verse 27. TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting. ²⁸Verse 28. PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” ²⁹Verse 29. Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. ³⁰Verse 30. In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.

³¹Verse 31. Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.