Daniel 5:13-28

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking 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 sorcerers were brought in before me to 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 third ruler in the kingdom.”

17Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “10Keep your 11gifts 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. 1812O king, the 13Most High God 14granted 15sovereignty, 16greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all 17languages trembled and feared in his presence; 18whomever 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 19was 20arrogant and his spirit became so 2122overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was 23deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him. 21He was also 24driven away from 25mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, 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, even though you knew all this, 23but you have 30risen up against the 31Lord 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 out of them; and you have praised the 32gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God 33in whose hand are your life-breath and all your 34ways, you have not glorified. 24Then the 3536hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25“Now this is the inscription that was written: ‘37Menē, 38Menē, 39Tekēl, 40Upharsin.’ 26This is the interpretation of the 41message: ‘Menē’--God has numbered your kingdom and 42put an end to it. 27‘Tekēl’--you have been 43weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28‘44Perēs’--your kingdom has been divided and given to the 45Medes and 46Persians.”