Daniel 5:17-7:14
Lexham English Bible
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.[a] 18 O king,[b] the Most High God gave the kingdom and the greatness and the glory and the majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor.[c] 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[d] 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[e] glory was taken away from him.[f] 21 And he was driven away from human society[g] and his mind was made like the animals[h] and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and he was given[i] grass like oxen to eat, and with[j] 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[k] he wants he sets over it.
22 “But you his successor,[l] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart even though[m] 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,[n] your wives and your concubines, have been drinking wine from[o] them, and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone[p] that do not see and do not hear and do not know, but the God who holds your life in his hand[q] and all of your ways come from him,[r] 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:[s] ‘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.[t]
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[u] Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 31 [v] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.[w]
Daniel’s Integrity and His Entrapment by His Enemies
6 It pleased Darius,[x] and he set up one hundred and twenty satraps over the kingdom, that they were throughout the whole kingdom,[y] 2 and over them were three administrators, of whom Daniel was one, so that these satraps were giving account to them, and the king would not be suffering loss. 3 Then Daniel began distinguishing himself[z] above the administrators and the satraps because[aa] an exceptional spirit was in him, and so the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the other administrators and satraps began to seek[ab] to find a pretext against Daniel in connection with the kingdom,[ac] but they were not able to find any pretext and corruption[ad] because[ae] he was trustworthy, and no[af] negligence or corruption[ag] could be found in him.[ah] 5 Then these men said,[ai] “We will not find any pretext[aj] against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 So the administrators and the satraps conspired with respect to[ak] the king and so they said to him, “Darius, O king, live forever![al] 7 All of the administrators of the kingdom, and the prefects, the satraps, the counselors and the governors took counsel and have agreed to establish an edict of the king and to enforce a decree that whoever[am] will seek a prayer from any god or human except from you for up to thirty days will be thrown into the lion pit.[an] 8 Now, O king, establish the edict and you must sign the document so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked.”
9 So[ao] the king, Darius, signed the writing and the interdict.[ap] 10 Now when[aq] Daniel realized that the document was signed, he went to his house (now he had windows in his upper room that were open[ar] toward Jerusalem), and three times daily[as] he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave praise before his God, just as[at] he had been doing previously.[au] 11 Then these men came as a group and they found Daniel praying and pleading for mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached and spoke with the king[av] concerning the edict of the king, “Did you not sign an edict[aw] that any person who would seek anything from any God or human within thirty days except from you, O king, would be thrown into the lion pit?”[ax] The king answered and said, “The matter as you have just stated is certain according to the law of the Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked.”
God’s Miraculous Deliverance of Daniel Again
13 Then they responded[ay] and said before the king, “Daniel, who is from the exiles[az] of Judah,[ba] is not paying any attention[bb] to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, and three times daily[bc] he says his prayer.” 14 Then the king, when[bd] he heard that report,[be] he was extremely distressed over it; and concerning Daniel[bf] he was determined[bg] to rescue him. And until the setting of the sun he was making every effort to deliver him. 15 Then these men came as a group to the king and said,[bh] “Recall, O king, that with respect to the law of[bi] the Medes and Persians that any[bj] decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought in and they threw him into the lion pit.[bk] The king said[bl] to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve faithfully,[bm] may he rescue you!” 17 And a[bn] stone was brought and it was put on the entrance of the pit, and the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet rings of his lords,[bo] so that nothing would be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night in fasting, and no food was brought in before him and his sleep fled from him.
19 Then the king got up at daybreak, at first light, and he went in haste[bp] to the lion pit.[bq] 20 And when he came near[br] to the pit, he cried out to Daniel with a distressed voice, and the king spoke[bs] and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve faithfully, was he able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke to[bt] the king, “O king, live forever![bu] 22 My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not[bv] hurt me, because[bw] before him I was found[bx] blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done any wrong.”
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad over it[by] and commanded that Daniel be lifted up from the pit; and there was not any wound found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king then commanded, and these men were brought who had accused Daniel,[bz] and they threw them and their children and their wives into the lion pit,[ca] and they had not reached the floor of the pit before[cb] the lions had overpowered them and they had crushed all of their bones.
The King Praises the God of Daniel and Daniel Prospers
25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the people, the nations, and the languages living in the whole earth, “May your prosperity become great! 26 I make a decree[cc] that in all the dominion of my kingdom people will be trembling and fearing before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and endures forever[cd] and his[ce] kingdom is one that will not be destroyed and his dominion has no end.[cf] 27 He is rescuing, delivering, and working signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, for he has rescued Daniel from the power[cg] of the lions.” 28 So this Daniel prospered during the kingdom of Darius and during the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts and the Son of Man
7 In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions[ch] of his head as he lay on his bed; then he wrote down the dream and the summary[ci] of the words as follows:[cj] 2 Daniel explained[ck] and said, “I was looking in my vision in the night, and look, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, differing from one another.[cl] 4 The first was like a lion and had[cm] the wings of an eagle. I was watching until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and it was raised on its feet like a human, and a human heart was given to it. 5 And look, another beast, a second one, looking like a bear. And it was raised up on one side and three tusks[cn] were in its mouth between its teeth, and so it was told,[co] “Arise, eat much flesh!” 6 After this I was watching and look, another beast like a leopard; it had four wings[cp] of a bird on its back, and the beast had[cq] four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and it had[cr] great iron teeth,[cs] and it was devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder[ct] with its feet; and it was different from all the other beasts that preceded it[cu] and it had ten horns.[cv] 8 I was considering the horns, and look, another little horn came up among[cw] them, and three of the earlier horns were rooted out[cx] from before it, and there were eyes like the eyes of a human[cy] in this horn and also a mouth that was speaking boastfully.
9 “I continued watching[cz] until thrones were placed and an Ancient of Days sat; his clothing was like white snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool and his throne was a flame[da] of fire and its wheels[db] were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued forth and flowed from his presence;[dc] thousands upon thousands served him and ten thousand upon ten thousand stood before him. The judge sat, and the books were opened.
11 “I continued watching[dd] then[de] because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn who was speaking; I continued watching[df] until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given over to burning with fire. 12 And as for the remainder of the beasts, their dominion was taken away,[dg] but a prolongation of their life[dh] was given to them for a season and a time.
13 “I continued watching[di] in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man[dj] was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented[dk] before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that[dl] all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion without end[dm] that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
Footnotes
- 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 6:1 Literally “It was pleasant before Darius”
- Daniel 6:1 Literally “in all the kingdom”
- Daniel 6:3 Literally “was distinguishing himself”
- Daniel 6:3 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “were seeking”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “from the side of the kingdom”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “being corrupt”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “all because that”
- Daniel 6:4 Aramaic “any”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “being corrupt”
- Daniel 6:4 Literally “not could be found”
- Daniel 6:5 Literally “were saying”
- Daniel 6:5 Or “basis for accusation”
- Daniel 6:6 Literally “on/upon”
- Daniel 6:6 Literally “to eternity”
- Daniel 6:7 Literally “all that”
- Daniel 6:7 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:9 Literally “Like to before this”
- Daniel 6:9 Or “the writing that is the interdict”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “as that”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “and windows were open to him in his upper room”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “in the day”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “all because that”
- Daniel 6:10 Literally “from before this”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “and saying before the king”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “Not an edict you signed?”
- Daniel 6:12 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “they answered”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “the sons of the exile”
- Daniel 6:13 Aramaic “Jehud”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “not he sets his mind”
- Daniel 6:13 Literally “and three times on the day”
- Daniel 6:14 Aramaic “as ”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “word”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “upon Daniel”
- Daniel 6:14 Literally “he set his heart”
- Daniel 6:15 Literally “saying”
- Daniel 6:15 Aramaic “to”
- Daniel 6:15 Literally “all/every”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “The king answered and saying”
- Daniel 6:16 Literally “in the loyalty”
- Daniel 6:17 Aramaic “one”
- Daniel 6:17 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 6:19 Literally “to hasten”
- Daniel 6:19 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:20 Literally “as coming near him”
- Daniel 6:20 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 6:21 Aramaic “with”
- Daniel 6:21 Literally “unto endless ages”
- Daniel 6:22 Aramaic “would not”
- Daniel 6:22 Literally “all of because that”
- Daniel 6:22 Literally “it was found for me”
- Daniel 6:23 That is, the situation
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “they ate his pieces of Daniel”
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “pit of lions”
- Daniel 6:24 Literally “until that”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “From before me is put forth a decree”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “to eternity/endless ages”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “and whose”
- Daniel 6:26 Literally “dominion his to the end”
- Daniel 6:27 Literally “hand”
- Daniel 7:1 Or “the visions”
- Daniel 7:1 Literally “head”
- Daniel 7:1 Literally “saying”
- Daniel 7:2 Literally “answered”
- Daniel 7:3 Literally “this from this”
- Daniel 7:4 Literally “for him/it”
- Daniel 7:5 Or “ribs”
- Daniel 7:5 Literally “they were saying”
- Daniel 7:6 Literally “and there were to it four wings”
- Daniel 7:6 Literally “to the beast”
- Daniel 7:7 Literally “were to it”
- Daniel 7:7 Literally “teeth of iron for it great”
- Daniel 7:7 Or “residue”
- Daniel 7:7 Literally “that preceding her/it”
- Daniel 7:7 Literally “and ten horns for her/it”
- Daniel 7:8 Literally “between”
- Daniel 7:8 Literally “dehorned”
- Daniel 7:8 Or “humankind”
- Daniel 7:9 Literally “I was watching”
- Daniel 7:9 Or “ablaze with”
- Daniel 7:9 Aramaic “wheel”
- Daniel 7:10 Literally “from before him”
- Daniel 7:11 Literally “I was watching”
- Daniel 7:11 Aramaic “in then”
- Daniel 7:11 Literally “I was watching”
- Daniel 7:12 Literally “they took away their dominion”
- Daniel 7:12 Literally “in life”
- Daniel 7:13 Literally “I was watching”
- Daniel 7:13 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
- Daniel 7:13 Literally “they presented him”
- Daniel 7:14 Aramaic “and”
- Daniel 7:14 Literally “of eternity”
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