The Handwriting on the Wall

1 ^eKing Belshazzar ^fmade a great feast for a thousand of his ^glords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 ^eBelshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that ^hthe vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father¹ had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in ^hthe golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and ⁱpraised the ^jgods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 ^kImmediately ^lthe fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw ^mthe hand as it wrote. 6 ⁿThen the king’s color changed, ^oand his thoughts alarmed him; ^phis limbs gave way, and ^qhis knees knocked together. 7 ^rThe king called loudly to bring in ^rthe enchanters, the ^sChaldeans, and ^tthe astrologers. The king declared² to the wise men of Babylon, ^u“Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and ^vshall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but ^wthey could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^xalarmed, and his ⁿcolor changed, and his ^ylords were perplexed.

10 The queen,³ because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, ^z“O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you ^aor your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom ^bin whom is the spirit of the holy gods.⁴ In the days of your father, ^clight and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—^dmade him chief of the magicians, ^renchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 ^ebecause an excellent spirit, knowledge, and ^funderstanding ^fto interpret dreams, explain riddles, and ^gsolve problems were found in this Daniel, ^hwhom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of ⁱthe exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that ^bthe spirit of the gods⁵ is in you, and that ^clight and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now ^jthe wise men, the ^kenchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but ^lthey could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 ^mBut I have heard that you can give interpretations and ⁿsolve problems. ^oNow if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, ^oyou shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and ^pshall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ^q“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the ^rMost High God ^sgave ^tNebuchadnezzar your father ^ukingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, ^vall peoples, nations, and languages ^wtrembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But ^xwhen his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, ^yhe was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 ^zHe was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^zuntil he knew that the ^rMost High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son,^{6 a}Belshazzar, ^bhave not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against ^cthe Lord of heaven. And ^dthe vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. ^eAnd you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, ^fbut the God in whose hand is your breath, and ^gwhose are all your ways, ^hyou have not honored.

24 “Then from his presence ⁱthe hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered⁷ the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, ^jyou have been weighed⁸ in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^kthe Medes and ^lPersians.”⁹

29 Then ^aBelshazzar gave the command, and Daniel ^mwas clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 ⁿThat very night ^aBelshazzar the ^oChaldean king was killed. 31 ¹⁰ And ^pDarius ^kthe Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Daniel and the Lions’ Den

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom ^q120 ^rsatraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them ^sthree high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these ^rsatraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became ^tdistinguished above all ^sthe other high officials and ^rsatraps, because ^uan excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned ^vto set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then ^sthe high officials and ^rthe satraps ^wsought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, ^xbut they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, ^xand no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 Then these ^shigh officials and ^rsatraps came by agreement¹¹ to the king and said to him, “O ^yKing Darius, live forever! 7 All the ^shigh officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the ^zcounselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an ^ainjunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish ^athe injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^bthe law of ^cthe Medes and the Persians, ^dwhich cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^ainjunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^ehe had windows in his upper chamber open ^ftoward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^gthree times a day and prayed and ^hgave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they ⁱcame near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^jan injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of ^cthe Medes and Persians, ^dwhich cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, ^k“Daniel, who is one ^lof the exiles ^kfrom Judah, ^mpays no attention to you, O king, or ^jthe injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^gthree times a day.”

14 Then ⁿthe king, when he heard these words, ⁿwas much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no ^jinjunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared¹² to Daniel, “May ^oyour God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 ^pAnd a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^qand the king sealed it ^rwith his own signet and with the signet of his ^slords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; ^tno diversions were brought to him, and ^usleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of ^vthe living God, ^ohas your God, whom you serve continually, ^wbeen able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, ^x“O king, live forever! 22 My God ^ysent his angel ^zand shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^abefore him; ^aand also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and ^bno kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and ^cthose men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all ^dthe peoples, nations, and languages ^ethat dwell in all the earth: ^f“Peace be multiplied to you. 26 ^gI make a decree, that in all my royal dominion ^hpeople are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and ⁿthe reign of ^oCyrus the Persian.

Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts

1 In the first year of ^pBelshazzar king of Babylon, ^qDaniel saw a dream and ^rvisions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared,¹³ “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, ^sthe four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts ^tcame up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, ^uanother beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a ^vleopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and ^wdominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, ^xterrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; ^xit devoured and broke in pieces ^xand stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and ^yit had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, ^zthere came up among them another horn, a little one, ^zbefore which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and ^aa mouth speaking great things.

The Ancient of Days Reigns

9 “As I looked,

11 “I looked then because of the sound of ^athe great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, ^mthe beast was killed, and its body destroyed ^mand given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, ⁿtheir dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

13 “I saw in the night visions,

Daniel’s Vision Interpreted

15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me¹⁴ was anxious, and ^sthe visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ^t‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But ^uthe saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

19 “Then I desired to know the truth about ^vthe fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 20 ^wand about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 21 As I looked, this horn ^xmade war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the ^yAncient of Days came, and ^ujudgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when ^uthe saints possessed the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said: ‘As for ^vthe fourth beast,

28 “Here is the end of the matter. ^hAs for me, Daniel, my ⁱthoughts greatly alarmed me, ^jand my color changed, but ^kI kept the matter in my heart.”

Be Ready for Every Good Work

1 Remind them ^xto be submissive to rulers and authorities, ^yto be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 ^zto speak evil of no one, ^ato avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and ^bto show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For ^cwe ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when ^dthe goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, ^enot because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^faccording to his own mercy, by ^gthe washing of regeneration and ^hrenewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he ⁱpoured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that ^jbeing justified by his grace we might become ^kheirs ^laccording to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is ^mtrustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ⁿto devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But ^oavoid foolish ^pcontroversies, ^qgenealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for ^rthey are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, ^safter warning him once and then twice, ^thave nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or ^uTychicus to you, do your best to come to me ^vat Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and ^wApollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn ^xto devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ^ybe unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

^zGrace be with you all.