Daniel 5
Names of God Bible
The Handwriting on the Wall
5 King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them. 2 As they were tasting the wine, Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver utensils which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought to him. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.[a]
3 So the servants brought the gold utensils that had been taken from Elah’s temple in Jerusalem. The king, his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, or stone.
5 Suddenly, the fingers of a person’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall opposite the lamp stand of the royal palace. The king watched as the hand wrote. 6 Then the king turned pale, and his thoughts frightened him. His hip joints became loose, and his knees knocked against each other.
7 The king screamed for the psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers to be brought to him. He told these wise advisers of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its meaning will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain on his neck, and become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8 All the king’s wise advisers came, but they couldn’t read the writing or tell the king its meaning. 9 King Belshazzar was terrified, and his face turned pale. His nobles didn’t know what to do.
10 The discussion between the king and his nobles brought the queen herself into the banquet hall. The queen said, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! Don’t let your thoughts frighten you, and don’t turn pale. 11 There’s a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your grandfather, he was found to have insight, good judgment, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him head of the magicians, psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers. 12 This Daniel (who had been renamed Belteshazzar) was found to have knowledge, judgment, and an extraordinary spirit. He has the ability to interpret dreams, solve riddles, and untangle problems. Now, call Daniel, and he will tell you what it means.”
13 So Daniel was taken to the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the captives that my grandfather brought from Judah? 14 I’ve heard that you have the spirit of the gods and that you have insight, good judgment, and extraordinary wisdom. 15 The wise advisers and the psychics were brought to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning. But they couldn’t tell me its meaning. 16 I have heard that you can interpret such things and untangle problems. If you can read the writing and tell me its meaning, you will be dressed in purple, wear a gold chain on your neck, and become the third-highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Daniel told the king, “Keep your gifts. Give your gifts and awards to someone else. I’ll still read the writing for you and tell you its meaning.
18 “Your Majesty, the Elah Illa-ah gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, might, honor, and glory. 19 People from every province, nation, and language trembled and were terrified by him, because God gave him power. Nebuchadnezzar killed whomever he wanted to kill, and he kept alive whomever he wanted to keep alive. He promoted whomever he wanted to promote, and he demoted whomever he wanted to demote. 20 But when he became so arrogant and conceited that he became overconfident, he was removed from the royal throne. His honor was taken away from him. 21 He was chased away from people, and his mind was changed into an animal’s mind. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet with dew from the sky. This happened until he realized that the Elah Illa-ah has power over human kingdoms. God puts whomever he wishes in charge of them.
22 “Belshazzar, you are one of Nebuchadnezzar’s successors. You didn’t remain humble, even though you knew all this. 23 But you made yourself greater than the Lord of heaven. You had the utensils from his temple brought to you. You, your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. These gods can’t see, hear, or know anything. You didn’t honor Elah, who has power over your life and everything you do. 24 So he sent the hand to write this inscription. 25 This is what has been written: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided. 26 This is its meaning: Numbered—Elah has numbered the days of your kingdom and will bring it to an end. 27 Weighed—you have been weighed on a scale and found to be too light. 28 Divided—your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”[b]
29 Then Belshazzar ordered that Daniel be dressed in purple and wear a gold chain on his neck. He made Daniel the third-highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That night King Belshazzar of Babylon was killed.[c] 31 Darius the Mede took over the kingdom. He was 62 years old.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:2 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law.
- Daniel 5:28 There is a play on words here between Aramaic peres (divided) and paras (Persians).
- Daniel 5:30 Daniel 5:31 in English Bibles is Daniel 6:1 in the Hebrew Bible.
Daniel 5
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
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 round 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 for ever,’ 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 round 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 round 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, orgrandfather
- 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.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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