Daniel 5:13-28

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the 12exiles from Judah, whom my father the king 3brought from Judah? 14Now I have heard about you that 4a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15Just now the 5wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they 6could not declare the interpretation of the 7message. 16But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its 8interpretation known to me, you will be 9clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the 10third ruler in the kingdom.”

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “11Keep your 12gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 1813O king, the 14Most High God 15granted 16sovereignty, 17grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every 18language feared and trembled before him; 19whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. 20But when his heart was 20lifted up and his spirit became so 2122proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was 23deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21He was also 24driven away from 25mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the 26wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the 27Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. 22Yet you, his 28son, Belshazzar, have 29not humbled your heart, 30even though you knew all this, 23but you have 31exalted yourself against the 32Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the 33gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God 34in whose hand are your life-breath and all your 35ways, you have not glorified. 24Then the 3637hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘38Menē, 39Menē, 40Tekēl, 41Upharsin.’ 26This is the interpretation of the 42message: ‘Menē’--God has numbered your kingdom and 43put an end to it. 27‘Tekēl’--you have been 44weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28‘Perēs’--your kingdom has been divided and given over to the 45Medes and 46Persians.”