Daniel 5:15-31 ▼

15 Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the 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 writing and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will rule with power as the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts remain with you or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the writing to the king and make the interpretation known to him.

18 O king, the Most High God granted the kingdom, grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

19 And because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue feared and were in dread before him; whomever he wished he killed, and whomever he wished he kept alive, and whomever he wished he raised up, and whomever he wished he made low.

20 But when his heart was raised up and his spirit became so strong that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him.

21 He was also driven away from the sons of men, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his place of habitation was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the sky until he knew that the Most High God is the powerful ruler over the kingdom of mankind and that He sets up over it whomever He wishes.

22 Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not made your heart lowly, even though you knew all this,

23 but you have raised yourself up against the 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 from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear, or know. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not honored.

24 Then the hand was sent from Him, and this writing was inscribed.

25 “Now this is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’

26 This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENE’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.

27 ‘TEKEL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.

28 ‘PERES’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar said the word, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now would be the third powerful ruler in the kingdom.

30 That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

31 So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.