Daily Bread

²² “But you, Belshazzar, his son,^[a] have not humbled^(A) yourself, though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have set yourself up against^(B) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives^(C) and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.^(D) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life^(E) and all your ways.^{(F) 24} Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁵ “This is the inscription that was written:

²⁶ “Here is what these words mean:

²⁹ Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,^(M) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.^(N)

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar,^(O) king^(P) of the Babylonians,^[e] was slain,^{(Q) 31} and Darius^(R) the Mede^(S) took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.^[f]