Daniel 5
New King James Version
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 Belshazzar the king (A)made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels (B)which his [a]father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold (C)vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, (D)and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5 (E)In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his (F)knees knocked against each other. 7 (G)The king cried [b]aloud to bring in (H)the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; (I)and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, (J)but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (K)troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were [c]astonished.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 (L)There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your [d]father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your [e]father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and [f]explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, (M)whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
The Writing on the Wall Explained
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel [g]who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my [h]father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that (N)the [i]Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now (O)the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and [j]explain enigmas. (P)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, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, (Q)the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your [k]father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, (R)all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he (S)executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 (T)But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was (U)driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, (V)till he [l]knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, (W)have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 (X)And you have [m]lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the (Y)vessels of [n]His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, (Z)which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand (AA)and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the [o]fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription that was written:
[p]MENE, MENE, [q]TEKEL, [r]UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: (AB)You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the (AC)Medes and (AD)Persians.”[s] 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him (AE)that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar’s Fall
30 (AF)That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 (AG)And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:2 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:7 Lit. with strength
- Daniel 5:9 perplexed
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:12 Lit. untying knots
- Daniel 5:13 Lit. who is of the sons of the captivity
- Daniel 5:13 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:14 Or spirit of the gods
- Daniel 5:16 Lit. untie knots
- Daniel 5:18 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:21 Recognized
- Daniel 5:23 Exalted
- Daniel 5:23 The temple
- Daniel 5:24 Lit. palm
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a mina (50 shekels) from the verb “to number”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a shekel from the verb “to weigh”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. and half-shekels from the verb “to divide”; pl. of Peres, v. 28
- Daniel 5:28 Aram. Paras, consonant with Peres
Daniel 5
Lexham English Bible
The Mysterious Writing on the Wall
5 Belshazzar the king made a great festival for a thousand of his lords,[a] and in the presence of[b] the thousand lords he was drinking wine.[c] 2 When he tasted the wine,[d] Belshazzar commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his predecessor[e] had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords,[f] his wives and his concubines may drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the vessels of gold that they took from the temple, the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords,[g] his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.[h]
5 Immediately[i] human fingers[j] appeared and they wrote opposite[k] the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching[l] the palm of the hand that was writing. 6 Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and his hip joints gave way[m] and his knees knocked together.[n] 7 The king cried aloud[o] to bring in the conjurers,[p] the astrologers[q] and the diviners; the king spoke[r] and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man that can read this writing and can tell me its explanation will be clothed in purple and will have a necklace of gold hung around his neck and he will rule as third in authority in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the wise men of the king came in, but they were not able to read the writing or to make known its explanation.[s] 9 Then the king, Belshazzar, became greatly terrified, and his facial features[t] changed upon him, and his lords[u] were perplexed.
10 Because of the words of the king and his lords,[v] the queen came into the banqueting hall[w] and the queen spoke up[x] and said, “O king, live forever,[y] and let not your thoughts terrify you and do not let your facial expressions grow pale.[z] 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.[aa] And in the days of your predecessor,[ab] enlightenment and insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and, O king, Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor[ac] appointed him as chief of the magicians,[ad] the conjurers,[ae] the astrologers,[af] and the diviners. Your predecessor[ag] the king did this 12 because[ah] there was found in him an excellent spirit and understanding and insight for interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving riddles; that is, in Daniel whom the king named[ai] Belteshazzar. Now, let Daniel be called and he will tell the explanation.”[aj]
Daniel Deciphers and Interprets the Writing
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king, and the king spoke[ak] and said to Daniel, “You are Daniel who are one of the exiles[al] of Judah[am] whom my predecessor,[an] the king, brought from Judah.[ao] 14 And I have heard that a spirit of the gods is in you and enlightenment and insight and excellent wisdom was found in you. 15 And now the wise men and the conjurers[ap] were brought in before me so that they could read this writing in order to make its explanation[aq] known to me, but they were not able to disclose the explanation[ar] of the matter. 16 But I have heard concerning you that you are able to produce interpretations[as] and to solve riddles; now if you are able to read the writing and to make known its explanation[at] to me, you will be clothed in purple and a necklace of gold will be placed around your neck and you will rule as third in command in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself or your rewards give to another; nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and I will make known to him the explanation.[au] 18 O king,[av] the Most High God gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor.[aw] 19 And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all the peoples, the nations and languages trembled and feared before him; whomever he wanted he killed, and whomever he wanted he let live, and whomever he wanted he honored, and whomever he wanted he humbled. 20 But when[ax] his heart became arrogant and his spirit became hard so as to act proudly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and the[ay] glory was taken away from him.[az] 21 And he was driven away from human society[ba] and his mind was made like the animals[bb] and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and he was given[bc] grass like oxen to eat, and with[bd] the dew of heaven his body was bathed, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and whoever[be] he wants he sets over it.
22 “But you his successor,[bf] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart even though[bg] you knew all this. 23 And now you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his temple you have brought in before you, and you and your lords,[bh] your wives and your concubines, have been drinking wine from[bi] them, and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone[bj] that do not see and do not hear and do not know, but the God who holds your life in his hand[bk] and all of your ways come from him,[bl] you have not honored. 24 So then the palm of the hand was sent out from his presence and this writing was inscribed.
25 “Now this was the writing that was inscribed: ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin.’
26 “This is the explanation of the matter:[bm] ‘Mene’—God has numbered your kingdom and brought an end to it.
27 “‘Tekel’—you have been weighed on scales and you have been found wanting.[bn]
28 “‘Peres’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’”
29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple and placed a necklace of gold around his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him that he would be the third ruler in authority in the kingdom. 30 That same night[bo] Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 31 [bp] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.[bq]
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:1 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:1 Literally “to over against”
- Daniel 5:1 Or “the wine”
- Daniel 5:2 Literally “At the taste of the wine”
- Daniel 5:2 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:2 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:3 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:4 All these metals have the definite article that does not have to be translated into English to retain the meaning
- Daniel 5:5 Literally “In its the hour”
- Daniel 5:5 Literally “fingers of the hand of a man”
- Daniel 5:5 Literally “to over against”
- Daniel 5:5 Or “gazing at”
- Daniel 5:6 Literally “the limbs of his hip became loose”
- Daniel 5:6 Literally “his knees this to this they knocked together”
- Daniel 5:7 Literally “with strength”
- Daniel 5:7 Or “enchanters”
- Daniel 5:7 Literally “Chaldeans”
- Daniel 5:7 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 5:8 Aramaic “the explanation/ interpretation”
- Daniel 5:9 Literally “shining of his face”
- Daniel 5:9 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:10 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:10 Literally “the house of the drinking”
- Daniel 5:10 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 5:10 Literally “to eternity”
- Daniel 5:10 Literally “change”
- Daniel 5:11 Literally “who the spirit of holy gods is in him”
- Daniel 5:11 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:11 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:11 Or “soothsayer-priests”
- Daniel 5:11 Or “enchanters”
- Daniel 5:11 Literally “Chaldeans”
- Daniel 5:11 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:12 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 5:12 Literally “whom the king gave his name”
- Daniel 5:12 Or “interpretation”
- Daniel 5:13 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 5:13 Literally “who from sons of the exile”
- Daniel 5:13 Aramaic “Jehud”
- Daniel 5:13 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:13 Aramaic “Jehud”
- Daniel 5:15 Or “enchanters”
- Daniel 5:15 Or “interpretation”
- Daniel 5:15 Or “interpretation”
- Daniel 5:16 Literally “to interpret interpretations”
- Daniel 5:16 Or “interpretation”
- Daniel 5:17 Or “interpretation”
- Daniel 5:18 Literally “You, O king”
- Daniel 5:18 Literally “father”
- Daniel 5:20 Literally “as that”
- Daniel 5:20 Or “his”
- Daniel 5:20 Literally “they took away”
- Daniel 5:21 Literally “from the sons of the humankind”
- Daniel 5:21 Aramaic “with the animals”
- Daniel 5:21 Literally “they gave him”
- Daniel 5:21 Aramaic “from”
- Daniel 5:21 Literally “to from that”
- Daniel 5:22 Literally “son”
- Daniel 5:22 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 5:23 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 5:23 Aramaic “with”
- Daniel 5:23 All the materials in this list have the definite article that does not have to be translated into English
- Daniel 5:23 Literally “who your breath is in his hand”
- Daniel 5:23 Literally “belong to him”
- Daniel 5:26 Or “word, message”
- Daniel 5:27 Or “deficient”
- Daniel 5:30 Literally “In it, in the night”
- Daniel 5:31 Daniel 5:31–6:28 in the English Bible is 6:1–29 in the Hebrew Bible
- Daniel 5:31 Literally “when a son of sixty and two years”
Daniel 5
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Daniel tyder skriften på väggen
5 Kung Belsassar inbjöd tusen av sina främsta män till en stor fest, där vinet flödade.
2-4 Medan Belsassar festade och drack kom han att tänka på de guld- och silverbägare som för länge sedan hade tagits från templet i Jerusalem och förts till Babylon under Nebukadnessars regering. Han gav order om att dessa bägare skulle hämtas till festen. Belsassar och hans furstar, hans hustrur och bihustrur drack vin ur dem och prisade samtidigt sina avgudar av guld och silver, koppar och järn, trä och sten.
5 Plötsligt fick de se fingrar från en mans hand skriva på väggen mitt emot den stora ljusstaken. Kungen själv såg handen när den skrev.
6 Han blev likblek i ansiktet av skräck, knäna skakade och benen gav vika under honom.
7 Hämta hit trollkarlarna och astrologerna! vrålade han. Hämta alla visa män och rådgivare! Den som kan läsa skriften på väggen och tala om för mig vad den betyder ska bli klädd i den röda kungliga manteln, få en guldkedja kring sin hals och bli den tredje mannen i riket med stor makt och inflytande!
8 Men när de visa männen kommit var det ingen av dem som kunde förstå skriften, än mindre tala om vad den betydde.
9 Kungen blev alltmer hysterisk. Hans ansikte var förvridet av skräck och hans ämbetsmän uppskakade.
10 Men när kungamodern fick höra vad som hänt, skyndade hon sig till festsalen och sa till Belsassar: Var bara lugn, Ers Majestät. Bli inte så upphetsad över det här!
11 Det finns en man i riket som har den helige gudens ande i sig. På din far Nebukadnessars tid visade han sig vara vis och förståndig - nästan som om han själv varit en gud. Han blev satt över alla spåmän, trollkarlar och astrologer i hela Babylon.
12 Skicka efter denne Daniel, eller Beltesassar, som kungen kallade honom, för hans sinne är fyllt av gudomlig kunskap och insikt. Han kan tyda drömmar och lösa gåtor och svåra problem. Han kommer att tala om för dig vad skriften betyder.
13 Man skickade alltså bud efter Daniel, och när han kom frågade kungen: Är du den Daniel som kung Nebukadnessar tog med sig från Israel som judisk fånge?
14 Jag har hört att du har gudars ande i dig och att du är full av vishet och förstånd.
15 Mina visa män och astrologer har försökt tyda skriften på väggen och tala om för mig vad den betyder, men de har misslyckats.
16 Man har sagt mig att du brukar kunna lösa alla slags mysterier. Om du kan tala om för mig vad de här orden betyder ska jag klä dig i en purpurmantel och ge dig en guldkedja om halsen och göra dig till den tredje mannen i riket.
17 Daniel svarade: Behåll dina gåvor eller ge dem till någon annan! Jag ska tala om för dig vad de där orden betyder ändå.
18 Ers Majestät ska veta att det var den allra högste Guden som gav din far, Nebukadnessar, majestät, härlighet och ära.
19 Han gjorde honom så mäktig att alla världens folk darrade av fruktan för honom. Han dödade dem som gick emot honom, och han skonade människors liv, när han så ville. Folk blev upphöjda eller avsatta på hans inrådan.
20 Men när hans hjärta och sinne blev förhärdat av högmod, flyttade Gud bort honom från hans tron och tog ifrån honom hans härlighet.
21 Han blev utkörd ur palatset och fick bo på fälten. Hans tankar och känslor blev som ett djurs och han bodde bland vildåsnor. Han åt gräs som oxarna, och hans kropp var våt av himlens dagg, tills han slutligen insåg att den allra Högste regerar över alla mänskliga riken och att han utser vem han vill till att regera.
22 Och du Belsassar, hans efterträdare, du känner till allt detta men har ändå inte blivit ödmjuk.
23 Du har trotsat himlens Herre och hämtat hit dessa bägare från hans tempel. Du och dina furstar, hustrur och bihustrur har druckit vin ur dem medan ni ärat gudar av silver, guld, koppar, järn, trä och sten, gudar som varken ser eller hör. Men du har inte ärat den Gud som gett dig livet och bestämmer över det.
24-25 Därför lät Gud dessa fingrar skriva ett budskap riktat till dig personligen. De har skrivit detta: 'Räknad, räknad, vägd, delad'.
26 Och detta är vad det betyder:Räknad - Gud har räknat din regeringstids dagar, och nu är de slut.
27 Vägd - du har blivit vägd på Guds våg, och det har visat sig att du är för lätt.
28 Delad - ditt rike ska delas och överlämnas åt meder och perser.
29 På Belsassars befallning blev då Daniel klädd i en purpurmantel, en guldkedja hängdes om hans hals och han utropades till den tredje mannen i riket.
30 Den natten blev Belsassar, kaldeernas kung, dödad,
31 och Darejaves av Medien tågade in i staden och tog över makten vid sextiotvå års ålder.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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