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
New Life Version
Belshazzar’s Special Supper
5 King Belshazzar gave a special supper for a thousand of his important men, and drank wine with them. 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he had all the gold and silver cups brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. The king sent for them so that he and his important men and all his wives could drink from them. 3 So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his important men and all his wives drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.
5 All at once the fingers of a man’s hand were seen writing on the wall near the lamp-stand of the king’s house. And the king saw the back of the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s face turned white, and his thoughts turned to fear. His legs became weak and his knees began shaking. 7 The king called in a loud voice for the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars and those who used their secret ways. He said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed with purple clothing and have a chain of gold around his neck. And he will be the third in power in the nation.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 Then King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face lost even more of its color, and his important men did not know what to do.
10 The queen heard the words of the king and his men, and came into the room where they were eating. She said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts make you afraid or your face turn white. 11 There is a man in your nation who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father’s time light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him the head of the wonder-workers, the men who learned from stars, and those who use their secret ways. 12 This was because a special spirit was found in this Daniel whom the king called Belteshazzar. He had much learning and understanding to tell the meaning of dreams and secrets and to give answers to problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what this means.”
Daniel Tells What the Writing Means
13 So Daniel was brought to the king. And the king said to him, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the people whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. Light and understanding and special wisdom have been found in you also. 15 The wise men and wonder-workers were brought in to me so that they might read this writing and tell me what it means. But they could not tell me its meaning. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to tell the meaning of such things and give answers to hard problems. If you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in purple and wear a chain of gold around your neck. And you will be the third in power in the nation.”
17 Then Daniel answered the king, saying, “Keep your gifts for yourself, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing to the king and tell him what it means. 18 O king, the Most High made your father Nebuchadnezzar king, and gave him greatness, honor, and power. 19 Because of the greatness He gave to him, all the people of every nation and language shook in fear in front of him. He killed whomever he wanted. And he let live whomever he wanted. He gave honor to whomever he wanted. And he put down whomever he wanted. 20 But when his heart and spirit became proud and he acted in pride, he was taken from his throne and his greatness was taken from him. 21 He was driven away from people, and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet with the water from heaven. It was like this for him until he understood that the Most High God is ruler over the nation of all men, and that He lets whomever He wants rule it. 22 Yet you, his son Belshazzar, have not put away the pride from your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 You have honored yourself more than the Lord of heaven. The cups of His house have been brought to you. And you and your important men and all your wives have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But you have not honored the God Who holds your life and your ways in His hand. 24 So the hand was sent from Him to write on your wall. 25 “This is what was written: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.’ 26 And this is what it means: ‘MENE’ means that God has numbered the days of your rule and has brought it to an end. 27 ‘TEKEL’ means that you have been weighed and found to be too light. 28 ‘PERES’ means that your nation has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar had them dress Daniel in purple and put a chain of gold around his neck. And he made it known that Daniel was the third most powerful ruler in the nation.
Belshazzar Is Killed
30 That very night Belshazzar the king of Babylon was killed. 31 So Darius the Mede became the king when he was sixty-two years old.
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