Daniel 5
Christian Standard Bible
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 King Belshazzar(A) held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. 2 Under the influence of[a] the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels(B) that his predecessor[b] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold[c] vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem,(C) and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.(D)
The Handwriting on the Wall
5 At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand[d] that was writing, 6 his face turned pale,[e] and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself[f] and his knees knocked together. 7 The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,(E) and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” 8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. 9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,[g] and his nobles were bewildered.(F)
10 Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen[h] came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.[i](G) 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods in him.(H) In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. Your own predecessor, the king, 12 did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.[j](I) Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”
Daniel before the King
13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?(J) 14 I’ve heard that you have a spirit of the gods in you, and that insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16 However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”(K)
17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else;(L) however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty,(M) greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.(N) 19 Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages(O) were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. 20 But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant,(P) he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.(Q) 21 He was driven away from people,(R) his mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys,(S) he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over human kingdoms and sets anyone he wants over them.(T)
22 “But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart,(U) even though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens. The vessels from his house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them,(V) you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand.(W) But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life.[k](X) 24 Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
The Inscription’s Interpretation
25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the message:
‘Mene’[l] means that God has numbered[m] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.(Y)
27 ‘Tekel’[n] means that you have been weighed[o] on the balance and found deficient.
28 ‘Peres’[p][q] means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”[r]
29 Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck,(Z) and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, 31 and Darius the Mede(AA) received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Footnotes
- 5:2 Or When he tasted
- 5:2 Or father, or grandfather
- 5:3 Theod, Vg add and silver
- 5:5 Lit part of the hand
- 5:5–6 Lit writing, 6 the king’s brightness changed
- 5:6 Or that the joints of his hips gave way; lit that the knots of his loins were untied
- 5:9 Lit his brightness changed on him
- 5:10 Perhaps the queen mother
- 5:10 Lit your brightness change
- 5:12 Lit and untie knots; also in v. 16
- 5:23 Lit and all your ways belong to him
- 5:26 Or a mina
- 5:26 The Aramaic word for numbered sounds like mene.
- 5:27 Or a shekel
- 5:27 The Aramaic word for weighed sounds like tekel.
- 5:28 Or half a shekel
- 5:28 In Aramaic, the word peres is the sg form of “parsin” in v. 25.
- 5:28 The Aramaic word for divided and Persians sounds like peres.
Daniel 5
Hoffnung für Alle
Eine rätselhafte Schrift
5 Eines Tages, als Belsazar König von Babylonien war,[a] gab er ein großes Fest für die tausend führenden Männer seines Reiches. Der Wein floss in Strömen. 2 Im Rausch ließ Belsazar die goldenen und silbernen Gefäße holen, die sein Vorgänger[b] Nebukadnezar aus dem Tempel in Jerusalem geraubt hatte. Alle sollten daraus trinken: er selbst, seine Gäste, seine Frauen und Nebenfrauen. 3 Man brachte die geraubten Gefäße, und alle tranken daraus. 4 Dabei rühmten sie die babylonischen Götter aus Gold, Silber, Bronze, Eisen, Holz und Stein.
5 Plötzlich erschien an der getünchten Wand des Festsaals eine Hand. Gerade dort, wo das Licht des Leuchters auf die Wand fiel, schrieb sie einige Worte nieder. Als Belsazar die Hand sah, 6 wurde er vor Schreck kreidebleich. Er sackte in sich zusammen und begann am ganzen Leib zu zittern.
7 »Holt die Geisterbeschwörer, die Sterndeuter und Magier!«, rief er laut. Als die babylonischen Gelehrten kamen, versprach er ihnen: »Wer die Schrift an der Wand lesen und mir sagen kann, was sie bedeutet, erhält eine hohe Auszeichnung: Er darf purpurfarbene Gewänder tragen wie ein König, er bekommt eine goldene Kette um den Hals, und ich ernenne ihn zum drittmächtigsten Mann im ganzen Reich!«
8 Die Berater des Königs traten näher, aber keiner von ihnen konnte die Schrift entziffern oder gar deuten. 9 Belsazar wurde immer bleicher, die Angst schnürte ihm die Kehle zu. Auch alle führenden Männer, die er um sich versammelt hatte, packte das Entsetzen.
10 Die Unruhe im Festsaal drang bis ans Ohr von Belsazars Mutter. Sie kam herein und sagte: »Lang lebe der König! Warum bist du so bleich vor Angst? Du brauchst dich nicht zu fürchten, denn ich weiß einen Rat. 11 Es gibt in deinem Reich einen Mann, in dem der Geist der heiligen Götter wohnt. Schon zur Zeit des früheren Königs Nebukadnezar bewies er so große Einsicht und Weisheit, wie sie eigentlich nur Götter haben, die verborgene Dinge ans Licht bringen können. Dein Vorgänger hatte ihn zum obersten aller Wahrsager, Geisterbeschwörer, Sterndeuter und Magier gemacht. 12 Lass ihn jetzt rufen! Sein Name ist Daniel, Nebukadnezar nannte ihn Beltschazar. Dieser Mann besitzt außergewöhnliche Weisheit und kann Träume deuten. Er löst jedes Rätsel und wird mit den größten Schwierigkeiten fertig. Er soll dir die Schrift deuten.«
13 Sofort ließ der König Daniel zu sich kommen. »Du also bist Daniel«, begann er, »einer der Gefangenen, die mein Vorgänger aus Juda hergebracht hat. 14 Man sagt, der Geist der heiligen Götter wohne in dir. Du sollst verborgene Dinge ans Licht bringen können und ungewöhnlich klug und weise sein. 15 Eben habe ich meine Gelehrten, die mich beraten, und die Geisterbeschwörer kommen lassen. Sie sollten diese Schrift lesen und mir sagen, was sie bedeutet. Aber sie können es nicht. 16 Von dir jedoch habe ich gehört, dass du hinter jedes Geheimnis kommst und mit den größten Schwierigkeiten fertigwirst. Wenn du es schaffst, diese Schrift zu entziffern und mir zu deuten, werde ich dich mit allen Würden auszeichnen: Du darfst purpurfarbene Gewänder tragen wie ein König, bekommst eine goldene Kette um den Hals und wirst der drittmächtigste Mann im Reich.«
17 Daniel erwiderte: »Eine Belohnung möchte ich nicht annehmen. Du kannst sie ruhig einem anderen geben. Ich werde dir die Schrift auch so vorlesen und deuten. 18 Mein König! Der höchste Gott hatte deinen Vorgänger Nebukadnezar zu einem mächtigen Herrscher gemacht. Er war in der ganzen Welt berühmt und hoch angesehen. 19 Die Menschen aller Länder, Völker und Sprachen zitterten vor ihm. Er verbreitete Angst und Schrecken, denn er konnte nach Belieben töten oder am Leben lassen. Von seiner Gunst hing es ab, ob jemand ein hohes Amt erhielt oder es verlor. 20 So wurde er immer hochmütiger. Doch sein Stolz und seine Vermessenheit brachten ihn zu Fall. Alle Macht und Anerkennung wurden ihm genommen. 21 Man verstieß ihn aus der menschlichen Gemeinschaft, er verlor seinen Verstand und wurde wie ein Tier. Bei den wilden Eseln hauste er, fraß Gras wie ein Rind, und der Tau durchnässte ihn. Das dauerte so lange, bis er einsah: Der höchste Gott ist Herr über alle Reiche der Welt, er vertraut die Herrschaft an, wem er will.
22 Aber du, Belsazar, hast daraus nichts gelernt, obwohl du das alles wusstest. Du bist genauso überheblich wie er. 23 Du hast dich über den Herrn des Himmels gestellt und dir die heiligen Gefäße holen lassen, die aus seinem Tempel stammen. Dann hast du mit den führenden Männern, mit deinen Frauen und Nebenfrauen Wein daraus getrunken und Loblieder auf deine Götter angestimmt. Dabei können diese Götzen weder sehen noch hören; sie begreifen nichts, weil sie aus Silber und Gold, aus Bronze und Eisen, aus Holz und Stein gemacht sind. Aber den Gott, der dein ganzes Leben in seiner Hand hat und deine Schritte lenkt – ihn willst du nicht ehren!
24 Deshalb ließ er die Hand erscheinen und diese Worte an die Wand schreiben. 25 Sie lauten: ›Gezählt, gezählt, gewogen und geteilt.‹[c]
26 ›Gezählt‹ bedeutet: Die Tage deiner Herrschaft sind gezählt, Gott setzt ihnen ein Ende!
27 ›Gewogen‹ heißt: Gott hat dich gewogen und für zu leicht befunden. Du kannst nicht vor ihm bestehen.
28 ›Und geteilt‹ bedeutet: Dein Reich wird aufgeteilt und den Medern und Persern gegeben.«
29 Nachdem Daniel dies gesagt hatte, befahl Belsazar, ihn mit einem Purpurgewand zu bekleiden und ihm eine Goldkette um den Hals zu legen. Er machte öffentlich bekannt, dass Daniel von nun an der drittmächtigste Mann im Reich sei.
30 Noch in derselben Nacht wurde Belsazar, der König von Babylonien, umgebracht.
Footnotes
- 5,1 Seit der Regierungszeit von König Nebukadnezar, von dem in den Kapiteln 1–4 die Rede war, waren etwa 25 Jahre vergangen.
- 5,2 Wörtlich: Vater. – So auch in den Versen 11, 13 und 18. Die historischen Einzelheiten sind unklar.
- 5,25 Wörtlich: Mene mene tekel u-parsin. – Diese aramäischen Worte waren für Belsazar zwar verständlich, aber in ihrer Bedeutung rätselhaft.
Daniel 5
1599 Geneva Bible
5 5 Belshazzar king of Babylon seeth an handwriting on the wall. 8 The soothsayers called of the king, cannot expound the writing. 25 Daniel readeth it, and interpreteth it also. 30 The king is slain. 31 Darius enjoyeth the kingdom.
1 King [a]Belshazzar made a great feast to a thousand of his princes, and drank wine [b]before the thousand.
2 And Belshazzar [c]while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring him the golden and silver vessels, which his [d]father Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the Temple in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines might drink therein.
3 Then were brought the golden vessels, that were taken out of the Temple of the Lord’s house at Jerusalem, and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the [e]gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 At the same hour appeared fingers of a man’s hand, which wrote over [f]against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his [g]knees smote one against the other.
7 Wherefore the king cried loud, that they should bring [h]the astrologians, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babel, Whosoever can read this writing, and declare me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor show the king the interpretation.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his princes were astonied.
10 Now the [i]Queen by reason of the talk of the King and his princes, came into the banquet house, and the Queen spake, and said, O king, live forever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.
11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him: whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made chief of the [j]enchanters, astrologians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
12 Because a more excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding (for he did expound dreams, and declare hard sentences, and dissolved doubts) were found in him, even in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.
13 ¶ Then was Daniel brought 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 my father the king brought out of Jewry?
14 Now I have heard of thee, that [k]the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and that light and understanding, and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 Now therefore wise men and Astrologians have been brought before me, that they should read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof: but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing.
16 Then heard I of thee, that thou couldest show interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shall 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, Keep thy rewards to thyself, and give thy gifts to another: yet I will read the writing unto the king, and show him the interpretation.
18 O king, hear thou, The most high God gave unto [l]Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and honor, and glory.
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled, and feared before him: he put to death whom he would: he smote whom he would: whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was puffed up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his honor 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 the heaven, till he knew that the most high God bare rule over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it, whomsoever he pleaseth.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all these things,
23 But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his House before thee, and thou and thy princes, 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 neither see, neither hear, nor understand: and the God in whose hand thy breath is and all thy ways, him hast thou not glorified.
24 [m]Then was the palm of the hand sent from him, and hath written this writing.
25 And this is the writing that he hath written, [n]MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing, MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.
27 TEKEL, thou art weighed in the balance, and art found [o]too light.
28 PERES, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then at the commandment of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel with purple, 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 The same night was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius [p]of the Medes took the kingdom, being threescore and two years old.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:1 Daniel reciteth this history of king Belshazzar, Evil-merodach’s son, to show God’s judgments against the wicked for the deliverance of his Church: and how the prophecy of Jeremiah was true, that they should be delivered after seventy years.
- Daniel 5:1 The kings of the East parts then used to sit alone commonly, and disdained that any should sit in their company: and now to show his power, and how little he set by his enemy, which then besieged Babylon, he made a solemn banquet, and used excess in their company, which is meant here by drinking wine: thus the wicked are most dissolute and negligent, when their destruction is at hand.
- Daniel 5:2 Or, overcome with wine.
- Daniel 5:2 Meaning, his grandfather.
- Daniel 5:4 In contempt of the true God, they praise their idols, not that they thought that the gold or silver were gods, but that there was a certain virtue and power in them to do them good, which is also the opinion of all idolaters.
- Daniel 5:5 That it might the better be seen.
- Daniel 5:6 So he that before contemned God, was moved by this sight to tremble for fear of God’s judgments.
- Daniel 5:7 Thus the wicked in their troubles seek many means, who draw them from God, because they seek not to him who is the only comfort in all afflictions.
- Daniel 5:10 To wit, his grandmother Nebuchadnezzar’s wife, which for her age was not before at the feast, but came thither when she heard of these strange news.
- Daniel 5:11 Read Dan. 4:6, and this declareth that both this name was odious unto him, and also he did not use these vile practices, because he was not among them when all were called.
- Daniel 5:14 For the idolaters thought that the Angels had power as God, and therefore had them in like estimation, as they had God, thinking that the spirit of prophecy and understanding came of them.
- Daniel 5:18 Before he read the writing, he declareth to the king his great ingratitude toward God, who could not be moved to give him the glory, considering his wonderful work toward his grandfather, and so showeth that he doth not sin of ignorance but of malice.
- Daniel 5:24 After that God had so long time deferred his anger, and patiently waited for thine amendment.
- Daniel 5:25 This word is twice written for the certainty of the thing: showing that God had most surely counted: signifying also that God hath appointed a term for all kingdoms, and that a miserable end shall come on all that raise themselves against him.
- Daniel 5:27 Or, wanting.
- Daniel 5:31 Cyrus his son-in-law gave him this title of honor, although Cyrus in effect had the dominion.
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