Daniel 5
Legacy Standard Bible
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 Belshazzar the king [a]held a great (A)feast for one thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he said to bring the gold and silver (B)vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his [b]father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They (C)drank the wine and praised the gods of (D)gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand came out and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the [c]back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the [d](E)splendor of the king’s face changed, and his thoughts alarmed him, and his (F)hip joints [e]went slack, and his (G)knees were knocking against each other. 7 The king called out loudly to bring in the (H)conjurers, the [f]Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king answered and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this writing and declare its interpretation to me shall be (I)clothed with purple and have a (J)necklace of gold around his neck and rule with power as [g](K)third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but (L)they could not read the writing or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (M)alarmed, and the [h](N)splendor of his face changed further, and his nobles were perplexed.
10 The queen entered the banquet [i]hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen answered and said, “(O)O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or the [j]splendor of your face be changed. 11 There is a (P)man in your kingdom in whom is [k]a (Q)spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father [l](R)the king, set him as chief of the [m]magicians, conjurers, [n]Chaldeans, and diviners. 12 This was because an (S)extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas, and [o]solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named (T)Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned, and he will declare the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Writing on the Wall
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the [p](U)exiles from Judah, whom my father the king (V)brought from Judah? 14 Now I have heard about you that [q]a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15 Just now the (W)wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they (X)could not declare the interpretation of the [r]message. 16 But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and [s]solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and make its (Y)interpretation known to me, you will be (Z)clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will rule with power as the [t]third ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your (AA)gifts remain with you or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the writing to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 [u]O king, the (AB)Most High God (AC)granted the kingdom, (AD)grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 And because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue feared and were in dread before him; (AE)whomever he wished he killed, and whomever he wished he kept alive, and whomever he wished he raised up, and whomever he wished he made low. 20 But when his heart was (AF)raised up and his spirit became so (AG)strong that he behaved arrogantly, he was (AH)deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him. 21 He was also (AI)driven away from the sons of [v]men, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his place of habitation was with the (AJ)wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of the sky until he knew that the (AK)Most High God is the powerful ruler over the kingdom of mankind and that He sets up over it whomever He wishes. 22 Yet you, his [w]son, Belshazzar, have (AL)not made your heart lowly, [x]even though you knew all this, 23 but you have (AM)raised yourself up against the (AN)Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the (AO)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear, or know. But the God (AP)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your (AQ)ways, you have not honored. 24 Then the [y](AR)hand was sent from Him, and this writing was [z]inscribed.
25 “Now this is the writing that was [aa]inscribed: ‘[ab]MENĒ, [ac]MENĒ, [ad]TEKĒL, [ae]UPHARSIN.’ 26 This is the interpretation of the [af]message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and (AS)put an end to it. 27 ‘TEKĒL’—you have been (AT)weighed on the scales and found lacking. 28 ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the (AU)Medes and [ag]Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar said the word, and they (AV)clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now would be the [ah]third powerful ruler in the kingdom.
30 That same night (AW)Belshazzar the Chaldean king was (AX)killed.
31 [ai]So (AY)Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:1 Lit made
- Daniel 5:2 Or forefather, so in ch
- Daniel 5:5 Or palm
- Daniel 5:6 Lit brightness changed for him
- Daniel 5:6 Lit became loosened
- Daniel 5:7 Or master astrologers
- Daniel 5:7 Or a triumvir
- Daniel 5:9 Lit brightness was changing upon him
- Daniel 5:10 Lit house
- Daniel 5:10 Lit brightness be changed
- Daniel 5:11 Or the Spirit of the holy God
- Daniel 5:11 Or O king
- Daniel 5:11 Or soothsayer priests
- Daniel 5:11 Or master astrologers
- Daniel 5:12 Lit loosening
- Daniel 5:13 Lit sons of the exile
- Daniel 5:14 Or possibly the Spirit of God
- Daniel 5:15 Lit word
- Daniel 5:16 Lit loosen
- Daniel 5:16 Or triumvir
- Daniel 5:18 Lit You, O king
- Daniel 5:21 Lit man
- Daniel 5:22 Or descendant
- Daniel 5:22 Lit inasmuch as you
- Daniel 5:24 Lit palm of the hand
- Daniel 5:24 Or signed, cf. 6:9-14
- Daniel 5:25 Or signed, cf. 6:9-14
- Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels), from verb “to number”
- Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels), from verb “to number”
- Daniel 5:25 Or a shekel, from verb “to weigh”
- Daniel 5:25 Or and half-shekels (sing: perēs), from verb “to divide”
- Daniel 5:26 Lit word
- Daniel 5:28 Aram: Pāras
- Daniel 5:29 Or triumvir
- Daniel 5:31 Ch 6:1 in Aram
Daniel 5
World English Bible
5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
10 The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes, the king, your father—made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. 16 But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 “To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. 19 Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to. 20 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 they took his glory from him. 21 He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
22 “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways. 24 Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’
26 “This is the interpretation of the thing:
MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
27 TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
28 PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. 31 Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
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