Daniel 5–6

The Writing on the Wall

King Belshazzar^a gave a great banquet^b for a thousand of his nobles^c and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking^d his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets^e that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines^f might drink from them.^g So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods^h of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.ⁱ

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale^j and he was so frightened^k that his legs became weak^l and his knees were knocking.^m

The king summoned the enchanters,ⁿ astrologers^o and diviners.^p Then he said to these wise^q men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck,^r and he will be made the third^s highest ruler in the kingdom.”^t

Then all the king’s wise men^u came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.^v So King Belshazzar became even more terrified^w and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!”^x she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods^y in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom^z like that of the gods.^a Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.^b He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar,^c was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles^d and solve difficult problems.^e Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.^f”

So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?^g I have heard that the spirit of the gods^h is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.ⁱ The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.^j Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.^k If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck,^l and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”^m

Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.ⁿ Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar^o sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.^p Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;^q those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.^r But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,^s he was deposed from his royal throne^t and stripped^u of his glory.^v He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign^w over the kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.^x

“But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled^y yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against^z the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives^a and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.^b But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life^c and all your ways.^d Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

“This is the inscription that was written:

mene, mene, tekel, parsin

“This is what these words mean:

Mene: God has numbered the days^e of your reign and brought it to an end.^f

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales^g and found wanting.^h

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medesⁱ and Persians.”^j

Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^k and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^l

That very night Belshazzar,^m kingⁿ of the Babylonians, was slain,^{o *}and Darius^p the Mede^q took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

Daniel in the Den of Lions

^*It pleased Darius^a to appoint 120 satraps^b to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.^c The satraps were made accountable^d to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.^e At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^f against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^g

So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^h The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governorsⁱ have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^j Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^k So King Darius put the decree in writing.

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward^l Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees^m and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.ⁿ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.^o So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^p

Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,^q pays no attention^r to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;^s he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”^t

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.^u The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue^v you!”

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed^w it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating^x and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.^y

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”^z

Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!^a My God sent his angel,^b and he shut the mouths of the lions.^c They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.^d Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound^e was found on him, because he had trusted^f in his God.

At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,^g along with their wives and children.^h And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.ⁱ

Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language^j in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!^k

“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence^l the God of Daniel.^m

“For he is the living Godⁿ

and he endures forever;^o

his kingdom will not be destroyed,

his dominion will never end.^p

He rescues and he saves;^q

he performs signs and wonders^r

in the heavens and on the earth.

He has rescued Daniel

from the power of the lions.”^s

So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus^t the Persian.^u