November 24, 2027

1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank. 2Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines might drink from them. 3When the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, had been brought in, and while the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines were drinking 4wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. 5Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote, 6his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. 13Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you have shown brilliant insight and extraordinary wisdom. 16But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems; now, if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.” 17Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means. 23you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. 24By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down. 25“This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES. These words mean: 26MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; 27TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; 28PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

62Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. 63Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. 64Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. 65All you winds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. 66Fire and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. 67Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.

10Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

12The Coming Persecution. “Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. 13It will lead to your giving testimony. 14Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, 15for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. 16You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name, 18but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. 19By your perseverance you will secure your lives. The Great Tribulation.