Daniel 5:18–28

18 “1O king, the aMost High God bgranted 2sovereignty, cgrandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

19 “Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every 1language feared and trembled before him; awhomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.

20 “But when his heart was alifted up and his spirit became so 1bproud that he behaved arrogantly, he was cdeposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

21 “He was also adriven away from 1mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the bwild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the cMost High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

22 “Yet you, his 1son, Belshazzar, have anot humbled your heart, 2even though you knew all this,

23 but you have aexalted yourself against the bLord 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 cgods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God din whose hand are your life-breath and all your eways, you have not glorified.

24 “Then the 1ahand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25 “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘1MENĒ, 1MENĒ, 2TEKĒL, 3UPHARSIN.’

26 “This is the interpretation of the 1message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and aput an end to it.

27 “ ‘TEKĒL’—you have been aweighed on the scales and found deficient.

28 “ ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the aMedes and 1Persians.”