rsv Daniel:5:17-31 SEEK
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Then Daniel answered before the king , "
Let your gifts be for yourself ,
and give your rewards to another ;
nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation .
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O king ,
the Most High God gave Nebuchadnez '
zar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty ;
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and because of the greatness that he gave him ,
all peoples ,
nations ,
and languages trembled and feared before him ;
whom he would he slew ,
and whom he would he kept alive ;
whom he would he raised up ,
and whom he would he put down .
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But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly ,
he was deposed from his kingly throne ,
and his glory was taken from him ;
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he was driven from among men ,
and his mind was made like that of a beast ,
and his dwelling was with the wild asses ;
he was fed grass like an ox ,
and his body was wet with the dew of heaven ,
until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of men ,
and sets over it whom he will .
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And you his son ,
Belshaz '
zar ,
have not humbled your heart ,
though you knew all this ,
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but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven ;
and the vessels of his house have been brought in before you ,
and you and your lords ,
your wives ,
and your concubines have drunk wine from them ;
and you have praised the gods of silver and gold ,
of bronze ,
iron ,
wood ,
and stone ,
which do not see or hear or know ,
but the God in whose hand is your breath ,
and whose are all your ways ,
you have not honored .
* "
Then from his presence the hand was sent ,
and this writing was inscribed .
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And this is the writing that was inscribed :
MENE ,
MENE ,
TEKEL ,
and PARSIN .
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This is the interpretation of the matter :
MENE ,
God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end ;
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TEKEL ,
you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting ;
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PERES ,
your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians ."
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Then Belshaz '
zar commanded ,
and Daniel was clothed with purple ,
a chain of gold was put about his neck ,
and proclamation was made concerning him ,
that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom .
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That very night Belshaz '
zar the Chalde '
an king was slain .
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And Darius the Mede received the kingdom ,
being about sixty-two years old .