Daniel 5

Modern

Literal

Belshazzar’s Feast

¹Later,^a King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.

¹Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he was drinking wine.

²Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father^a had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.

²Belshazzar commanded during the tasting of the wine to bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that they might drink from them—the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines.

³Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.

³So they brought the vessels of gold that had been taken from the temple of the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and they drank from them—the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines.

⁴As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

⁴They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

The Handwriting on the Wall

⁵At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,

⁵At that moment appeared the fingers of the hand of a man, and they were writing over against of the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king. And the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing.

⁶his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.

⁶Then the king, his countenance changed about him, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked, this against this.

⁷The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers,^a and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

⁷The king called out with strength to bring in the enchanters, the astrologers, and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon that, “Any man who can read this writing and show to me its interpretation, with purple he shall be clothed, and a chain of gold shall be around his neck, and as the third in the kingdom he shall rule!”

⁸So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

⁸Then all the wise men of the king came in, and they were not able to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king.

⁹Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.

⁹Then King Belshazzar was greatly dismayed, and his countenance was changed about him, so that his nobles were perplexed.

¹⁰Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen^a entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.

¹⁰The queen, because of the words of the king and his nobles, came to the house of the banquet. The queen answered and said, “O king, may you live forever. Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not let your countenance change.

¹¹There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods.

Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,

¹¹There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and insight and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar your father, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners—your father the king—

¹²did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”

¹²all because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, the interpreting of dreams, and the solution of riddles, and explaining enigmas, were found in him—in this Daniel, whom the king had set as his name Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

¹³So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?

¹³Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Are you he, the Daniel who is from the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah?

¹⁴I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.

¹⁴And I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

¹⁵Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.

¹⁵And the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought before me that they might read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, and they are not able to show the interpretation of the matter.

¹⁶But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁶And I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and to loosen knots; now, if you are able to read this writing and to make known to me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, and a chain of gold shall be around your neck, and as the third in the kingdom you shall rule!”

¹⁷In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.

¹⁷Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Your gifts, let them be for yourself, and may you give your rewards to another; nevertheless, the writing I will read to the king, and the interpretation I will make known to him.

¹⁸As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.

¹⁸You, O king—God Most High gave the kingdom, and the majesty, and the glory, and the honor, to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

¹⁹Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.

¹⁹And because of the majesty that He gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages came to be trembling and fearful from before him. Whomever he would be willing, he would be slaying; and whomever he would be willing, he would be keeping alive; and whomever he would be willing, he would be raising up; and whomever he would be willing, he would be bringing low.

²⁰But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.

²⁰And when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened to be proud, he was brought down from the throne of his kingship, and they took away his glory from him.

²¹He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.

²¹And he was driven away from the sons of men, and his heart was made like with the beast, and with the wild donkeys was his dwelling; they fed him grass like oxen, and with the dew of heaven his body became wet, until that he came to know that God Most High is ruling over the kingdom of men, and whomever that He chooses, He establishes over it.

²²But you his son,^a O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

²²And you, his son, O Belshazzar, you have not humbled your heart, all even though all of this you knew,

²³Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.

²³and against the Lord of heaven you have lifted yourself up. And the vessels of His house they have brought before you, and you, and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines, have been drinking wine from them. And to the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see, and do not hear, and do not have knowledge, you have given praise. And to the God in whose hand is your breath, and all your ways are to Him, you have not shown honor!

²⁴Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

²⁴Then from before Him were sent the fingers of the hand, and this inscription was written.

²⁵Now this is the inscription that was written:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

²⁵And this is the inscription that was written: Mene, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

²⁶And this is the interpretation of the message:

MENE^a means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

²⁶This is the interpretation of each word: Mene—God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end!

²⁷TEKEL^a means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

²⁷Tekel—you have been weighed in the balances and found lacking!

²⁸PERES^a means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁸Peres—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Mede and Persian!”

²⁹Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

²⁹Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel in purple, and a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans^a was slain,

³⁰That night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain;

³¹and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

³¹and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, a son of sixty-two years.