Font Size
Daniel 5:13-30
New International Version
Daniel 5:13-30
New International Version
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?(A) 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods(B) is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.(C) 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.(D) 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems.(E) If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck,(F) and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”(G)
17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else.(H) Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar(I) sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.(J) 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death;(K) those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.(L) 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride,(M) he was deposed from his royal throne(N) and stripped(O) of his glory.(P) 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign(Q) over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.(R)
22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son,[a] have not humbled(S) yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against(T) the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives(U) 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.(V) But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life(W) and all your ways.(X) 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 “This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here is what these words mean:
Mene[b]: God has numbered the days(Y) of your reign and brought it to an end.(Z)
27 Tekel[c]: You have been weighed on the scales(AA) and found wanting.(AB)
28 Peres[d]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes(AC) and Persians.”(AD)
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck,(AE) and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.(AF)
30 That very night Belshazzar,(AG) king(AH) of the Babylonians,[e] was slain,(AI)
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:22 Or descendant; or successor
- Daniel 5:26 Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).
- Daniel 5:27 Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.
- Daniel 5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.
- Daniel 5:30 Or Chaldeans
Daniel 5:13-30
King James Version
Daniel 5:13-30
King James Version
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
Read full chapter
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.