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Babylon’s Palace
based on the book of Daniel.
Act 7: (7 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Belshazzar, Evil Advisor, & Daniel. Special props:. gold cups
[TABLE & CHAIRS ON STAGE]
Narrator: Many years went by and king Nebuchadnezzar became old, so his son Belshazzar became king. King Nebuchadnezzar had become a good king and he worshipped the God of heaven, but his son, Belshazzar was an evil man who ignored the God of heaven, and he spent all his money on banquets and self centred things. He didn’t care about other people, as long as he was enjoying himself. One day he put on a great banquet for a thousand of his important guests. During the meal, king Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped the God of heaven. He did this so as to mock God.
Belshazzar: Just think, [ARROGANT] these cups were used in the worship of the God of heaven, and now we are drinking from them at a party!
Evil Advisor: [DRUNK] Where is this so called ‘Great God’ now?!!
Belshazzar: He’s well dead and gone! Me? I worship gold, silver and lots of money!
Evil Advisor: Me too. Money gets me everything I want, but no god can do that for me!
Belshazzar: I’m not going to worship the God of heaven! As far as I am concerned, the gods can serve me and give me what I want!
Narrator: As the party got more and more out of hand, they suddenly saw a very strange sight.
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] Look! There’s like fingers of a hand moving near that wall!
Belshazzar: You’ve drunk too much!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] No look! [POINT AT THE WALL] There is a hand without any arm or body!
Belshazzar: [PANIC] I can see the hand!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] It’s starting to write on the wall!
Belshazzar: [SHOUT] Everyone shut up! Look at the writing on the wall!
Narrator: The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and he fell onto the floor.
Belshazzar: [ON THE FLOOR] What does it say? [PANIC] Tell me what it says!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] It says: “NUMBERED, NUMBERED, WEIGHED, DIVIDED.”
Belshazzar: [PANIC] What does that mean? Tell me what it means!
Evil Advisor: Your majesty, I have got no idea at all!
Belshazzar: [PANIC] What! You’re supposed to be able to tell me these sort of things! [SHOUT] Get all my advisors in here now!
Narrator: They all came in, but no one had any idea what it meant! So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. Everyone at the banquet was baffled and scared, and they didn’t know what to do. Then the queen, hearing all the noise, came into the banquet hall and said: "O king, don't be alarmed and don't look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of God in him. In the time of your father he was proved to be full of wisdom, and he could explain dreams and strange things like this. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him as Head Advisor, and his name is Daniel. Call for Daniel now and he will tell you what the writing means.”
Belshazzar: [SHOUT] Get Daniel now! Bring him to us now!
Daniel: [WALK ONTO STAGE] Your majesty! [BOW BEFORE KING]
Belshazzar: Are you Daniel who was captured by my father and brought here to serve in the Babylon Palace?
Daniel: I am, your majesty.
Belshazzar: I have heard that the spirit of God is in you and that you have great wisdom. All my other Advisors were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. Now I have heard that you are able to explain these things and to solve difficult problems.
Daniel: I am not able to tell you the answer, but the God of heaven will tell me.
Belshazzar: Mmm, [THOUGHTFUL] the God of heaven. [BRIGHTENS] If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, I will give you great riches and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel: You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.
Belshazzar: [THOUGHTFUL] What?
Daniel: I am not interested in your money. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar his greatness and the nations feared him. God allowed him to rule, but when your father’s heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild animals and ate grass like a cow. It was only when he turned to God and worshipped him, that your father was restored back to the Palace.
Belshazzar: Yes, I have heard my father tell this story, but what has that got to do with this writing?
Daniel: Yes, you heard the story, but you did not learn anything from it. You heard how your father humbled himself and turned to God, but you have continued in your evil ways. Instead, you have set yourself up against the God of heaven. You had the cups from his temple brought to you, and you and your guests mocked the God of heaven.
Belshazzar: That was only a bit of fun!
Daniel: You said that you worship gold, silver and lots of money! But you did not honour the God who holds your life in his hands.
Therefore he sent the hand that wrote these words: “NUMBERED, NUMBERED, WEIGHED, DIVIDED.”
Belshazzar: What do the words mean?
Daniel: This is what the words mean: “NUMBERED”: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. “WEIGHED:” You have been weighed on the scales and found lacking in any goodness. “DIVIDED” : Your kingdom is divided and given to another country – the Medes and Persians.
Belshazzar: [UNREAL HAPPINESS] Wahey! Good old Daniel has told us the meaning to these words!
Narrator: The king did not take to heart the things that Daniel had said. He decided to ignore the warning. That very night an army crept into the city of Babylon and killed Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians. King Darius the Mede took over the Babylonian kingdom.
[REMOVE TABLE & CHAIRS FROM STAGE]
[ALL EXIT STAGE]
[DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO ENTER STAGE]
Daniel: Well, here we are. This is the third king that we’ve seen to rule in Babylon. I don’t know whether you heard, but I told king Belshazzar that he was no longer going to be king because God saw no goodness in him!
Shadrach: Wow! That was telling him straight! What did the king say to that?
Daniel: Well, it was really strange! He seemed to be happy!
Meshach: Happy? Why on earth was he happy?
Daniel: I think that he was happy because the writing on the wall had been explained to him. But he just didn’t think about it. He was too busy enjoying himself!
Abednego: I suppose that happens to anyone -
Daniel: Let’s make sure that we don’t do the same!
Shadrach: Yeah. We don’t know what this new king is going to be like.
Daniel: I hope that we will be able to carry on trying to please God in this foreign land.
Meshach: And that he doesn’t kill us and all the other Advisors!
Daniel: We’ll see. We are in God’s hands.
[EXIT STAGE]
Act 8: (5 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Darius, & Evil Advisor. Special props:.
[THRONE ON STAGE]
Narrator: After king Darius had conquered Babylon he set up his throne there in the Babylon Palace. He decided to have 3 leaders directly reporting to him – one of which was Daniel. These 3 men were over 120 government officials who ruled his whole kingdom.
[DARIUS SITTING ON HIS THRONE]
Evil Advisor: [WALK ONTO STAGE] Your majesty. [BOW]
Darius: [THOUGHTFUL] Hmmm. I’ve been thinking about Daniel.
Evil Advisor: Why is that your majesty? Has he done something wrong? Oh yes! [RUB HANDS]
Adults & children: Boo!
Darius: No, he’s not done anything wrong. He does an amazing job. He takes so much of the work load off of me. It’s a delight to have him in the Palace.
Evil Advisor: [DISAPPOINTED] Oh.
Darius: He’s so reliable and trustworthy that I am going to make him the ruler of my whole kingdom.
Evil Advisor: [SPLUTTERS] What?!!
Darius: [SHARPLY] Do you have a problem with that?
Evil Advisor: No your majesty. [BOW LOW] That is a wonderful idea! [WALK TO STAGE FRONT, AWAY FROM KING] Curses, curses! I must stop Daniel somehow!
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: Oh shut up! [RUB CHIN] How can I stop Daniel? The problem is , that he just doesn’t do anything wrong. There is no dishonesty in him! He is trustworthy and he is not at all careless in his work. There will never be any chance of bringing charges against Daniel, unless it has something to do with the law of his God. [PACE UP & DOWN] [EXCITED] I know! Brilliant! This will trap Daniel! [EVIL LAUGH]
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: I’ll go back to the king and speak to him right away! [WALK TO KING] Your majesty! [BOW LOW] O King Darius, may you live forever! All your royal Advisors have agreed that you should issue a new law!
Darius: Oh how unusual for all of my Advisors to agree with one another. It must be important! Tell me, what have you all agreed?
Evil Advisor: The new law should state that anyone who prays to any god during the next 30 days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. [RUB HANDS]
Darius: O I think that sounds like a good law! [PROUD] Excellent, people will have to pray to me! Yes I like the sound of that!
Evil Advisor: Now, O king, pass this law and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered. You know what the law of the Medes and Persians says that when a law gets written down it cannot be changed.
Darius: O I would be delighted to put this law in writing!
Evil Advisor: [EXCITED] Yes! Yes!
Adults & children: Boo!
[DARIUS & EVIL ADVISOR EXIT STAGE]
[REMOVE THRONE FROM STAGE]
Narrator: Now when Daniel learned that this new law had been passed, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows faced towards his own country and prayed to the God of heaven. He continued to pray as normal, 3 times a day next to the open window.
Evil Advisor: [WALK ONTO STAGE EXCITED] I’ve got a very good feeling about today! For some reason or other, I am walking close to Daniel’s house. [SNIGGER] I can’t imagine what Daniel will be doing at this time of the day!
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: Obviously he will be very obedient to all of the king’s laws! [EVIL LAUGH] He wouldn’t dream of disobeying any laws! [STOP WALKING] Well, here we are at Daniel’s house. [RUB HANDS]
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: Oh, [PAUSE] I hear someone praying! [LOOK UP] Well, would you believe it?! I can see Daniel praying at the window! [SARCASTIC] Surely this is not Daniel, the king’s favourite, disobeying the king? Well, my duty is to the king. I will have to report Daniel to the king! Oh how my heart bleeds to have to report Daniel!
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: [RUB HANDS & WALK OFF]
[DANIEL SEATED LOOKING OFF STAGE PRAYING]
[SHARACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO BURST ONTO STAGE]
Shadrach: Daniel! Why did you carry on praying as normal?
Daniel: A silly law is not going to stop me from praying!
Meshach: What do you mean: “a silly law”! Disobeying the king like this means that you will die!
Daniel: If I die because of pleasing the God of heaven – then let that happen. I am prepared to die for what is right!
Abednego: Couldn’t you have prayed in secret?
Daniel: What? Then people would have thought that I no longer prayed to God! And that would mean that I thought more of my own life than pleasing God. No, I am ready to face this. If I die, I will be with Him in heaven.
[BOTH EXIT STAGE]
Act 9: (8 mins)
Parts: Narrator, Darius, Daniel & Evil Advisor.
[KING DARIUS ON HIS THRONE]
Evil Advisor: [WALK TO THRONE] Your majesty! [BOW LOW] My king, did you not pass a law that anyone who prays to any god during the next 30 days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den?
Darius: O yes, and I was delighted to pass such a law.
Evil Advisor: And am I right in saying that it was a written law that cannot be altered?
Darius: Yes that is correct. [CURIOUS] Why do you ask such questions?
Evil Advisor: O King Darius, may you live forever! You know how hard I work at obeying all of your laws and making sure that others obey them too.
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: I have been walking around your city and I just happened to pass Daniel’s house. To my amazement I saw and heard Daniel praying to his God! To be absolutely sure that Daniel was praying to his God I stayed near to his open window for some time. I realised how serious this was, that Daniel was disobeying your law. So here I am to tell you about Daniel the lawbreaker!
Adults & children: Boo!
Narrator: The king knew how reliable and trustworthy Daniel was, so he didn’t want Daniel to die because of breaking this law.
Darius: I am sure that Daniel wasn’t doing any harm and you may have just thought that he was praying.
Evil Advisor: O King, this just shows how headstrong Daniel is, and that he will only obey you when it suits him!
Darius: I can’t believe that Daniel isn’t loyal to me. He is always very obedient
and is never self-
Evil Advisor: O King, may I be so bold as to say that we are getting off of the point. Daniel has chosen to disobey one of your laws and this very law says that anybody breaking this law must be thrown to the lions. He has not only broken this law once, but 3 times a day and there are many witnesses who have seen him breaking your law.
Darius: [BURY HEAD IN HANDS] Aaaagh! Leave me alone! I want to think about this.
Evil Advisor: Yes your majesty. I am sure you will come to the right decision. [WALK TO STAGE FRONT & SPEAK TO CHILDREN] And throw Daniel to the lions so that he will die! [RUB HANDS & EVIL LAUGH & EXIT STAGE]
Adults & children: Boo!
Darius: What can I do? If I let Daniel off, that will make me a weak king and people will think that they can choose to obey me or not! And that cannot happen, because whatever I say, everyone must obey me!
Narrator: King Darius did nothing until sundown.
Evil Advisor: Yes your majesty. You called for me, your most reliable and gifted servant.
Darius: Yes I called you and I have decided what to do.
Evil Advisor: O King Darius, may you live forever! I think that you have got no option but to show yourself as a strong leader who demands total obedience from everyone!
Darius: I see that it would greatly harm my government if Daniel was killed. Therefore I will stop his pay for a month!
Evil Advisor: Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no law that is written down can be changed.
Darius: Aaaagh! Very well, throw Daniel into the lion’s den! [STOMP OFF STAGE]
Evil Advisor: O dear, poor Daniel is going to be fed to the hungry lions. [RUB HANDS & LEAVE STAGE]
Adults & children: Boo!
[REMOVE THRONE FROM STAGE] [DARIUS, DANIEL & EVIL ADVISOR WALK ACROSS STAGE]
Darius: Daniel, may your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you! I was trapped into doing this and I see no way out. [POINT AT EVIL ADVISOR]
Adults & children: Boo!
Evil Advisor: [SLIMY] How have you been trapped your majesty? You passed the law and the law was broken! [RUB HANDS]
Adults & children: Boo!
Darius: Daniel, you will have to trust in your God to rescue you! You will now be lowered into the lion’s den. They haven’t been fed for many days so they are very hungry.
Daniel: I am trusting in the God of heaven, whatever the outcome! [STEP OFF STAGE SIDE & OUT OF SIGHT]
Narrator: A huge stone trapdoor was placed over the mouth of the den.
[DARIUS & EVIL ADVISOR WALK ACROSS STAGE & OFF STAGE ]
Narrator: Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment. He just could not sleep, he was thinking about Daniel the whole night. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. He told his soldiers to remove the huge stone trapdoor.
Darius: [WALK ACROSS STAGE & PEER OVER STAGE SIDE] Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?
Daniel: [PAUSE] O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions! They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done anything wrong to you, O king.
Darius: [JUMP FOR JOY] Yes! Yes! Daniel is alive! The God of heaven has saved Daniel’s life!
Narrator: The king was overjoyed and gave orders to his soldiers to lift Daniel out of the den.
Daniel: [WALK ONTO STAGE]
Darius: [JOYFUL. WALK AROUND DANIEL LOOKING FOR ANY INJURIES] Look there are no wounds on him at all! Those lions were extremely hungry and they should have eaten him! But because Daniel trusted in his God he was saved from them!
Evil Advisor: [PANIC] I had better get out of here! [RUN ACROSS STAGE & EXIT STAGE]
Darius: [SHOUT] Get him and all his helpers!
Narrator: At the king's command, the men who had trapped Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den. Before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them! Then King Darius wrote to everyone in all nations saying: "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must follow and worship the God of heaven. For he is the living God and his kingdom will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
[THE END]