“ Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.“ I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.

七十年满了以后，我必刑罚巴比伦王和那国民，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年满了以后，我必惩罚巴比伦王和那国，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年满了以后，我必惩罚巴比伦王和那国，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年后，我要报应巴比伦王和他国民迦勒底人的罪，使他们的土地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

“七十年满了以后，我要按着他们的罪孽惩罚巴比伦王和那国，就是迦勒底人之地，使它永远荒凉。”这是耶和华的宣告。

七十年滿了以後，我必刑罰巴比倫王和那國民，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年滿了以後，我必懲罰巴比倫王和那國，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年滿了以後，我必懲罰巴比倫王和那國，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年後，我要報應巴比倫王和他國民迦勒底人的罪，使他們的土地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

“七十年滿了以後，我要按著他們的罪孽懲罰巴比倫王和那國，就是迦勒底人之地，使它永遠荒涼。”這是耶和華的宣告。

『七十年滿了以後，永恆主發神諭說，我必察罰巴比倫王以及那國，我必鑒察他們的罪孽，察罰迦勒底人之地，使它永遠荒涼。

七十年既竟、我必罰巴比倫王與其國、及迦勒底人之地、使之永久荒蕪、以治其罪、耶和華言之矣、

耶和華又曰、七十年之期既屆、我降罰於巴比倫之君民、治其罪戾、使迦勒底土地荒蕪、歷久若此。

七十年之期既畢、我降罰於巴比倫王與迦勒底民、治其罪戾、使迦勒底土地永為荒蕪、此乃主所言、

“ But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord,“ and will make it desolate forever.

“‘ But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do this when the 70 years are over,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will make that land a desert forever.

Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste.

When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’— this is the LORD’s declaration—‘ the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.

‘ Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord,‘ for their wrongdoing, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

‘ Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord;‘ and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.

When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’— this is the Lord’s declaration—‘ the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished,[ that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

“‘ But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon an everlasting ruin. I, the LORD, affirm it!

“ It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh,“ for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever.

Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean pride, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.

During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.

This is what the Lord says:“ You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:“ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Then say,‘ Lord, you have said that you will destroy Babylon so that neither people nor animals will remain here. She will lie empty and abandoned forever.’When you have finished reading the scroll, tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River.Then say,‘ In this same way Babylon and her people will sink, never again to rise, because of the disasters I will bring upon her.’” This is the end of Jeremiah’s messages.

The Lord gave Jeremiah the prophet this message concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians.This is what the Lord says:“ Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.For a nation will attack her from the north and bring such destruction that no one will live there again. Everything will be gone; both people and animals will flee.“ In those coming days,” says the Lord,“ the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.“ My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.All who found them devoured them. Their enemies said,‘ We did nothing wrong in attacking them, for they sinned against the Lord, their true place of rest, and the hope of their ancestors.’“ But now, flee from Babylon! Leave the land of the Babylonians. Like male goats at the head of the flock, lead my people home again.For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies’ arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss!Babylonia will be looted until the attackers are glutted with loot. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ You rejoice and are glad, you who plundered my chosen people. You frisk about like a calf in a meadow and neigh like a stallion.But your homeland will be overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. You will become the least of nations— a wilderness, a dry and desolate land.Because of the Lord’s anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland. All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there.“ Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the Lord.Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the Lord’s vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others!Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.“ The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:“ Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.In those days,” says the Lord,“ no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.“ Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you,” says the Lord.“ Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction.Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations!Listen, Babylon, for I have set a trap for you. You are caught, for you have fought against the Lord.The Lord has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.Yes, come against her from distant lands. Break open her granaries. Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble. Destroy her completely, and leave nothing!Destroy even her young bulls— it will be terrible for them, too! Slaughter them all! For Babylon’s day of reckoning has come.Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the Lord our God has taken vengeance against those who destroyed his Temple.“ Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon. Surround the city so none can escape. Do to her as she has done to others, for she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord.“ See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ Your day of reckoning has arrived— the day when I will punish you.O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them.”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!“ The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord.“ It will strike the people of Babylon— her officials and wise men, too.The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered.A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.“ Soon Babylon will be inhabited by desert animals and hyenas. It will be a home for owls. Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever.I will destroy it as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord.“ No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.“ Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far off lands.They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. As they ride forward on horses, they sound like a roaring sea. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, Babylon.The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy, and he is weak with fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped him, like those of a woman in labor.“ I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”Listen to the Lord’s plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed.The earth will shake with the shout,“ Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.

“ I will make Babylon a desolate place of owls, filled with swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’“ Indeed, the Lord will give justice to his people, and he will change his mind about his servants, when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.Then he will ask,‘ Where are their gods, the rocks they fled to for refuge?Where now are those gods, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their offerings? Let those gods arise and help you! Let them provide you with shelter!Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!Now I raise my hand to heaven and declare,“ As surely as I live,when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will take revenge on my enemies and repay those who reject me.I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh— the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders.”’

Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.Then the Lord said to me,“ Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.“ Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.“ But soon their captives will taunt them. They will mock them, saying,‘ What sorrow awaits you thieves! Now you will get what you deserve! You’ve become rich by extortion, but how much longer can this go on?’Suddenly, your debtors will take action. They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless.Because you have plundered many nations, now all the survivors will plunder you. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.“ What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint.“ What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!Has not the Lord of Heaven’s Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain!For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.“ What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the Lord’s judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame.You cut down the forests of Lebanon. Now you will be cut down. You destroyed the wild animals, so now their terror will be yours. You committed murder throughout the countryside and filled the towns with violence.“ What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols,‘ Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say,‘ Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”

Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:“ Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”Hear the noise on the mountains! Listen, as the vast armies march! It is the noise and shouting of many nations. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.They come from distant countries, from beyond the farthest horizons. They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger. With them he will destroy the whole land.Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived— the time for the Almighty to destroy.Every arm is paralyzed with fear. Every heart melts,and people are terrified. Pangs of anguish grip them, like those of a woman in labor. They look helplessly at one another, their faces aflame with fear.For see, the day of the Lord is coming— the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it.The heavens will be black above them; the stars will give no light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will provide no light.“ I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty.I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger.”Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd. They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land.

Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up! The grassy banks are scorched. The tender plants are gone; nothing green remains.

“ I will repay Babylon and the people of Babylonia for all the wrong they have done to my people in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.“ Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy,” says the Lord.“ I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble.You will be desolate forever. Even your stones will never again be used for building. You will be completely wiped out,” says the Lord.

Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight.Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.“ Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.“ To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.“ Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones.Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.I will call a swift bird of prey from the east— a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.“ Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right.For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.“ Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust. For your days of sitting on a throne have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate.

After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.He gave a mighty shout:“ Babylon is fallen— that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,“ Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart,‘ I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies— that is, human slaves.“ The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry.“ All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!” And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say,“ Where is there another city as great as this?”And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,“ Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod,the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz,“ Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.Then the Lord said,“ My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign— a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt!They will say,‘ If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.’”This message came to me concerning Babylon— the desert by the sea: Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev.I see a terrifying vision: I see the betrayer betraying, the destroyer destroying. Go ahead, you Elamites and Medes, attack and lay siege. I will make an end to all the groaning Babylon caused.My stomach aches and burns with pain. Sharp pangs of anguish are upon me, like those of a woman in labor. I grow faint when I hear what God is planning; I am too afraid to look.My mind reels and my heart races. I longed for evening to come, but now I am terrified of the dark.Look! They are preparing a great feast. They are spreading rugs for people to sit on. Everyone is eating and drinking. But quick! Grab your shields and prepare for battle. You are being attacked!Meanwhile, the Lord said to me,“ Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees.He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.”Then the watchman called out,“ Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post.Now at last— look! Here comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!” Then the watchman said,“ Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!”O my people, threshed and winnowed, I have told you everything the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said, everything the God of Israel has told me.This message came to me concerning Edom: Someone from Edom keeps calling to me,“ Watchman, how much longer until morning? When will the night be over?”The watchman replies,“ Morning is coming, but night will soon return. If you wish to ask again, then come back and ask.”This message came to me concerning Arabia: O caravans from Dedan, hide in the deserts of Arabia.O people of Tema, bring water to these thirsty people, food to these weary refugees.They have fled from the sword, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow and the terrors of battle.The Lord said to me,“ Within a year, counting each day, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end.Only a few of its courageous archers will survive. I, the Lord, the God of Israel, have spoken!”

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds:“ Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim surrendered and paid him tribute for three years but then rebelled.

Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon,“ Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar,“ Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king— your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar— made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers of Babylon.This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him,“ Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom.My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it.I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”Daniel answered the king,“ Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace.But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.“ You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone— gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!So God has sent this hand to write this message.“ This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.This is what these words mean: Mene means‘ numbered’— God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.Tekel means‘ weighed’— you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.Parsin means‘ divided’— your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty two.