Daniel 5–6

Belshazzar’s Feast

5King Belshazzar ^vheld a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. ²Under the influence of ^wthe wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels ^xthat his predecessor ^yNebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. ³So they brought in the gold ^zvessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, ^aand the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. ⁴They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. ^b

The Handwriting on the Wall

⁵At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand ^cthat was writing, ⁶his face turned pale, ^dand his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together. ⁷The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, ^eand have the third highest position in the kingdom.” ⁸So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. ⁹Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale, ^fand his nobles were bewildered. ^g

¹⁰Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen ^hcame to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale. ^ij11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. ^kIn the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the diviners, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. Your own predecessor, the king, ¹²did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. ^lTherefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”

Daniel before the King

¹³Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah? ^m14I’ve heard that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. ¹⁵Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. ¹⁶However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” ⁿ

¹⁷Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; ^ohowever, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. ¹⁸Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, ^pgreatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar. ^q19Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages ^rwere terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. ²⁰But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, ^she was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him. ^t21He was driven away from people, ^uhis mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys, ^vhe was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it. ^w

²²“But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, ^xeven though you knew all this. ²³Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, ^yyou praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. ^zBut you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life. ^ab24Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.

The Inscription’s Interpretation

²⁵“This is the writing that was inscribed:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

²⁶This is the interpretation of the message:

MENE ^cmeans that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. ^d

²⁷TEKEL ^emeans that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient.

²⁸PERES ^fgmeans that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, ^hand issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, ³¹ⁱand Darius the Mede ^jreceived the kingdom at the age of 62.

The Plot against Daniel

6Darius decided ^kto appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, ²and over them three administrators, including Daniel. ^lThese satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded. ^m3Daniel ⁿdistinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, ^oso the king planned to set him over the whole realm. ^p4The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel ^qregarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, ^rfor he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. ⁵Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” ^s

⁶So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. ^t7All the administrators of the kingdom, ^uthe prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. ^v8Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict ^wand sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” ^x9So King Darius signed the document. ^y

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, ^zand three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, ^ajust as he had done before. ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found ^bDaniel petitioning and imploring his God. ¹²So they approached the king ^cand asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.” ^d

¹³Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, ^ethe king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.” ¹⁴As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel ^fand made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

¹⁵Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.” ^g

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. ^hThe king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, ⁱrescue you!” ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. ^jThe king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. ¹⁸Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. ^kNo diversions ^lwere brought to him, and he could not sleep. ^m

Daniel Released

¹⁹At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, ⁿ“has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you ^ofrom the lions?”

²¹Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever. ²²My God sent His angel ^pand shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”

²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. ^q24The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel ^rswere brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. ^tThey had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Darius Honors God

²⁵Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound. ^u26I issue a decree ^vthat in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: ^w

For He is the living God,

and He endures forever;

His kingdom will never be destroyed, ^x

and His dominion has no end.

²⁷He rescues and delivers;

He performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth, ^y

for He has rescued Daniel

from the power of the lions.”

²⁸So Daniel prospered ^zduring the reign of Darius and ^athe reign of Cyrus the Persian. ^b