Belshazzar’s Feast 2 UST He became drunk, and he commanded his servants to bring the gold and silver cups that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his officials, his wives, and his concubines. BSB BSB: Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
3 UST So his servants brought in the gold cups that Nebuchadnezzar’ s solders had taken from the temple where God had been present in Jerusalem. Then the king, his officials, his wives, and his concubines drank wine from those cups. BSB BSB: Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
4 UST They drank toasts to honor their gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone idols. BSB BSB: As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
The Handwriting on the Wall 5 UST Suddenly the fingers of a man’ s hand appeared. They started writing on the plaster of a section of the wall of the royal palace. A lamp was shining on that section, so the king could see the palm of the hand as it was writing. BSB BSB: At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
6 UST That made him very afraid, and his face turned pale. His knees started shaking, and his legs became so weak that he could not stand up. BSB BSB: his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
7 UST He shouted loudly to tell his servants to bring in his magicians, advisors, and fortunetellers. He said,“If any of them can read this writing and tell me what it means, I will give him a purple robe to wear. I will also give him a gold chain to put around his neck. I will also make him the most powerful ruler in my kingdom except for me and the crown prince.” BSB BSB: The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 UST Then all the wise men whom the king had summoned came in. But none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. BSB BSB: So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.
9 UST This made King Belshazzar even more afraid. His face became even paler. The officials he had invited to the feast did not know what to do. BSB BSB: Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
10 UST The king’ s mother learned that the king and his nobles were talking about what to do. So she came into the room where they were having the feast. She said to Belshazzar,“Your Majesty, I hope that you will live for a very long time! Please do not let this frighten you and make your face turn pale. BSB BSB: Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.
11 UST There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar was ruling, they discovered that this man could understand many things. He was very wise, like the gods. Your grandfather King Nebuchadnezzar, who was one of the kings before you, made him the leader of all the different wise men of Babylon. BSB BSB: There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
12 UST Nebuchadnezzar did that because he has very good character. He can learn and understand many things. He is able to say what dreams mean. He can solve puzzles and explain things that are very difficult to understand. That man is Daniel. The king gave him a new name, Belteshazzar. If you summon Daniel, he will tell you what this writing means.” BSB BSB: did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting 13 UST So the king had his servants bring Daniel to him. The king said to him,“You must be Daniel. I understand that you are one of the Judeans whom the soldiers of my grandfather Nebuchadnezzar brought here as prisoners from Judah. BSB BSB: So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14 UST I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you are very intelligent, and that you are very wise. BSB BSB: I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
15 UST I want you to know that I brought in my wise men, such as my enchanters, to read this writing and tell me what it means. But they have not been able to do that. BSB BSB: Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.
16 UST But then someone told me about you. You are able to say what dreams mean and explain things that are very difficult to understand. If you really can read this writing and tell me what it means, I will give you a purple robe to wear. I will also give you a gold chain to put around your neck. I will also make you the most powerful ruler in my kingdom except for me and the crown prince” BSB BSB: But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17 UST Then Daniel replied to the king,“You may keep your gifts or give them to someone else. But I will read this writing for you and tell you what it means. BSB BSB: In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.
18 UST Your Majesty, this is why the hand wrote that for you. The Supreme God made Nebuchadnezzar, one of the men who ruled before you, a great king. People honored him and admired him. BSB BSB: As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
19 UST Because God made him such a powerful king, people who came from many different nations and groups and who spoke many different languages were very afraid of him. If he wanted someone to die, he could command his soldiers to execute that person. If he wanted someone to live, he could command his soldiers not to harm that person. If he wanted to give someone an important position, he could do that. If he wanted to make someone unimportant, he could do that too. BSB BSB: Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
20 UST However, he began to think of himself as very great. He became stubborn, and he acted arrogantly. As a result, God made him no longer the king. He was not glorious anymore. BSB BSB: But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
21 UST He no longer lived among people. He had a mind like an animal. He lived among wild donkeys. He ate grass as oxen do. The dew that forms from the air made his body damp. He lived that way until he recognized that the Supreme God rules over human kingdoms. He chooses who will be their kings. BSB BSB: He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22 UST You, Belshazzar, have now become the king. You knew all these things, but you have not been humble. BSB BSB: But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23 UST Instead, you have considered yourself to be greater than God, who reigns in heaven. You have commanded your servants to bring you the cups from his temple in Jerusalem. You, your officials, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking from those cups. You have been making toasts in honor of your own gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone idols. Those idols represent gods that{ are not real. They} cannot see, hear, or know anything! You have not honored the God who keeps you alive and who controls everything that happens to you. BSB BSB: Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
24 UST So God sent this hand to write this message to you. BSB BSB: Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 UST The hand wrote these words:‘Mene,’‘Mene,’‘Tekel,’ and‘Parsin.’ BSB BSB: Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
26 UST This is what these words mean.‘Mene’ means‘counted.’ This means that God has counted how many days you have been king, and he has decided that there should not be any more. BSB BSB: And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27 UST ‘Tekel’ means‘weighed.’ It is as if God has weighed you on a scale and found that you do not weigh what you should. BSB BSB: TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28 UST ‘Peres’ means‘separated.’ God is going to separate your kingdom from you. The Medes and the Persians will conquer it, and they will rule it instead of you.” BSB BSB: PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
31 UST Darius the Mede became the king instead. He was 62 years old. BSB BSB: and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.