King Belshazzar sees a hand that writes on the wall
1Belshazzar became king after Nebuchadnezzar. King Belshazzar had a big feast. He invited 1 000 of his officials to come and eat and he drank wine with them. 2Later 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. 3The 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. 4They drank wine and they praised their gods, the gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5They were drinking wine when, 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 hand writing. 6The king became afraid. His face became pale and his body started to tremble. 7He shouted and told them to bring the wise men to him. 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.’
8The 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. 9King Belshazzar became even more afraid, and his face became more pale. His officials did not know what to do.
10When 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. 11There 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. 12The name of this man is Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar named him Belteshazzar. You must call Daniel, and he will tell you what the words on the wall mean. He can say what dreams mean, he can answer anything that people ask him and he can help with any problem.’
13They 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? 14They have told me that the gods help you and that you are very wise. 15I 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 can not tell me. 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.’
17Then 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.
18Nebuchadnezzar was king before you and you know that the Most High God made him a great and important king. 19That 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. 20But Nebuchadnezzar became proud and God decided that he would no longer be king and sit on the king's throne. And the people did not respect him any longer. 21They 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.
22But King Belshazzar, you started to rule after Nebuchadnezzar. You knew all this, but you also became proud. 23You 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 can not see or hear. They know nothing. But you did not want to honour God, the God who makes you breathe and who decides what will happen to you. 24It is this God who sent the hand to write on the wall.
25These are the words that are written on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26MENE 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. 27TEKEL means: God has tested you and He has seen that you are not good enough to be king. 28PERES means: God will give your land to other nations, to the people of Media and Persia.’
29Belshazzar 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.
30That same night, people came and they killed Belshazzar, the king of Babylon.
31Darius became king in the land of the Medes. He became king of the Babylonians when he was 62 years old.
