Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his officials. The king was drinking wine with them
Daniel 5:2 Later King Belshazzar became drunk, and he told his servants to go and get the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. The king wanted to drink wine from the cups with his wives, his concubines and his officials
Daniel 5:3 The servants went to get the gold cups that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. King Belshazzar and his officials, his wives and his concubines drank from the cups.
Daniel 5:4 They drank wine, and they praised their gods, the gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Daniel 5:5 Suddenly, the fingers of a hand started to write on the wall of the king’s palace. The hand was near the lamp stand and the king saw the handwriting
Daniel 5:6 The king became afraid. His face became pale. He could not stand up because his legs were too weak, and his body started to tremble.
Daniel 5:7 He shouted and told them to bring the men of magic and the Chaldeans and the wise men. When the wise men came, he said: ‘If anyone can read what the hand has written on the wall and can tell what it means, I will give him clothes like a king’s clothes, purple clothes and a gold chain around his neck. He will be the 3rd most important man in the land.
Daniel 5:8 The wise men all came into the room where the king was, but they could not read what was written on the wall and they could not say what it meant.
Daniel 5:9 King Belshazzar became even more afraid, and his face became more pale. His officials did not know what to do.
Daniel 5:10 When the queen heard what the king and his officials were talking about, she came into the room and said: ‘Your Majesty, I hope you will live forever. Do not be afraid or look so pale.
Daniel 5:11 There is a man in your land who can help because the holy gods help him. King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled before you, saw that this man was very wise and that he had wisdom like the gods. Then Nebuchadnezzar made him leader of all the wise men.
Daniel 5:12 The man I am talking about is named Daniel. The king gave him the name Belteshazzar. He is very smart, and he knows many things. He could interpret dreams, explain secrets, and find the answer to very hard problems. Call for Daniel, he will tell you what the writing on the wall means.”
Daniel 5:13 They called Daniel to come to the king and the king asked Daniel: ‘Are you Daniel, one of the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away from the land of Judah and brought here?
Daniel 5: 14 They have told me that the gods help you and that you are very wise.
Daniel 5: 15 I have called the wise men and clever people to come to read what is written on the wall and to tell me what it means, but they cannot tell me.
Daniel 5:16Then someone told me that you can tell what things mean and that you can help in any problem. If you can read what is written on the wall and tell me what it means, I will give you clothes like those of a king, purple clothes and a gold chain around your neck. You will be the 3rd most important man in the land.
Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel said to the king: Your Majesty, you can keep your gifts, or you can give them to someone else. But I will read what is written on the wall and I will tell you what it means.
Daniel 5:18 Nebuchadnezzar was king before you and you know that the Highest God made him a great and important king.
Daniel 5:19 That is why the people of all nations were afraid of Nebuchadnezzar because he could kill anyone whom he wanted to kill. He could also let anyone live if he wanted that person to live. He could make people important, or he could humiliate them.
Daniel 5:20 But Nebuchadnezzar became proud, and God decided that he would no longer be king to sit on the king’s throne. And the people did not respect him any longer.
Daniel 5:21 They chased Nebuchadnezzar away. He became like an animal, and he went to live among the wild donkeys. He had to eat grass like an ox and the dew and rain fell on him. Nebuchadnezzar stayed there until he knew that it is God who decides who will be king.
Daniel 5:22 But Belshazzar, you already knew this. But still you have not made yourself humble
Daniel 5:23 You thought that you were more important than the Lord of heaven. You took the cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from the Lord’s temple and you drank wine out of those cups with your officials, your wives and your concubines. And then you praised your gods that were made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone. These are gods who cannot see or hear. They know nothing. But you did not want to honor God, the God who makes you breathe and who decides what will happen to you.
Daniel 5:24 It is this God who sent the hand to write on the wall.
Daniel 5:25 These are the words that are written on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
Daniel 5:26 MENE means: God has looked at you to see if you are a good king and He has decided that you will no longer be king.
Daniel 5:27 TEKEL means: God has tested you and He has seen that you are not good enough to be king.
Daniel 5:28 PERES means: God will give your land to other nations, to the people of Media and Persia.
Daniel 5:29 Belshazzar then told his people to give Daniel clothes like those of a king, purple clothes and a gold chain around his neck. He told everyone that Daniel had become the 3rd most important man in the land.
Daniel 5:30 That very same night, Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed.
Daniel 5:31 A man named Darius the Mede became the new king. Darius was about 62 years old.