Daniel 5
New Living Translation
The Writing on the Wall
5 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor,[a] Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, 6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers,[b] and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”
8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. 9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.
10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
Daniel Explains the Writing
13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? 14 I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. 15 My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. 16 I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.
22 “You are his successor,[c] O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 24 So God has sent this hand to write this message.
25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, mene, tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is what these words mean:
Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
28 Parsin[d] means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian[e] king, was killed.[f]
31 [g]And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Daniel 5
English Standard Version
The Handwriting on the Wall
5 (A)King Belshazzar (B)made a great feast for a thousand of his (C)lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
2 (D)Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that (E)the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father[a] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in (F)the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and (G)praised the (H)gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 (I)Immediately (J)the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw (K)the hand as it wrote. 6 (L)Then the king's color changed, (M)and his thoughts alarmed him; (N)his limbs gave way, and (O)his knees knocked together. 7 (P)The king called loudly to bring in (Q)the enchanters, the (R)Chaldeans, and (S)the astrologers. The king declared[b] to the wise men of Babylon, (T)“Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and (U)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but (V)they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (W)alarmed, and his (X)color changed, and his (Y)lords were perplexed.
10 The queen,[c] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, (Z)“O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you (AA)or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom (AB)in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.[d] In the days of your father, (AC)light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—(AD)made him chief of the magicians, (AE)enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 (AF)because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and (AG)understanding (AH)to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and (AI)solve problems were found in this Daniel, (AJ)whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of (AK)the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that (AL)the spirit of the gods[e] is in you, and that (AM)light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now (AN)the wise men, the (AO)enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but (AP)they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 (AQ)But I have heard that you can give interpretations and (AR)solve problems. (AS)Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, (AT)you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and (AU)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, (AV)“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the (AW)Most High God (AX)gave (AY)Nebuchadnezzar your father (AZ)kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, (BA)all peoples, nations, and languages (BB)trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But (BC)when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, (BD)he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 (BE)He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, (BF)until he knew that the (BG)Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son,[f] (BH)Belshazzar, (BI)have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against (BJ)the Lord of heaven. And (BK)the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. (BL)And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, (BM)but the God in whose hand is your breath, and (BN)whose are all your ways, (BO)you have not honored.
24 “Then from his presence (BP)the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[g] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, (BQ)you have been weighed[h] in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to (BR)the Medes and (BS)Persians.”[i]
29 Then (BT)Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel (BU)was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 (BV)That very night (BW)Belshazzar the (BX)Chaldean king was killed. 31 [j] And (BY)Darius (BZ)the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:2 Or predecessor; also verses 11, 13, 18
- Daniel 5:7 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 10
- Daniel 5:10 Or queen mother; twice in this verse
- Daniel 5:11 Or Spirit of the holy God
- Daniel 5:14 Or Spirit of God
- Daniel 5:22 Or successor
- Daniel 5:26 Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered
- Daniel 5:27 Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed
- Daniel 5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia
- Daniel 5:31 Ch 6:1 in Aramaic
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
