Episode 213: The handwriting on the wall

Daniel 5

5 ¹ King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's son, had a great feast.

^2-3 He had the gold and silver vessels that his father took from the temple in Jerusalem brought out, so that his wives and concubines could drink from them.

³ And they all drank wine while praising their gods.

⁵ While everyone was eating and drinking, a detached hand began to write on the wall.

⁶ When the king saw the hand, the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees began to smite each other.

⁷ The king brought in the astrologers, soothsayers, and wise men of Babylon, and he said to them:

Whoever can read the writing on the wall will be clothed with scarlet, have a gold chain put around his neck, and be made the third ruler of the kingdom.

⁸ But none of them could read the writing.

¹⁰ The queen said to the king, I know a man who can do it. He interpreted the dreams of your father, Nebuchadnezzar. I'm sure he could read the writing on the wall, too.

¹³ So they brought in Daniel, and the king said to him, "Can you read the writing on the wall?"

¹⁷ Daniel said,

Yes I will read the writing on the wall.

¹⁸ God gave your father, Nebuchadnezzar, a kingdom.

²¹ But his heart was made like a beast’s, and he ate grass like an ox, with a body wet with dew.

^22-23 And you, Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, have drunk wine with your wives and concubines, and haven't glorified God.

²⁴ And it was God who sent the hand that wrote on the wall.

²⁵ This is the handwriting on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

²⁶ And this is what it means:

MENE - God has ended your kingdom.

²⁷ TEKEL - You're not worth much.

PERES - I've divided your kingdom and given it to the Medes and Persians.

²⁹ Then Belshazzar clothed Daniel with scarlet, put a gold chain around his neck, and made him the third ruler of the kingdom.

³⁰ Belshazzar died later that night.

³¹ And Darius the Median took over his kingdom.