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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Daniel 5</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/daniel/5.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//daniel/5-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/daniel/">Daniel</a> > Daniel 5</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../daniel/4.htm" title="Daniel 4">◄</a> Daniel 5 <a href="../daniel/6.htm" title="Daniel 6">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/daniel/5.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/daniel/5.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/daniel/5.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/daniel/5.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/daniel/5.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/daniel/5.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/daniel/5.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Belshazzar’s Feast<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Later,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. <A name="4"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Thus 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. <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. <A name="6"></a><p class="hdg">The Handwriting on the Wall<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>At 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, <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together. <A name="8"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">c</a></span> 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.” <A name="9"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him. <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered. <A name="11"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">d</a></span> entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale. <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>There 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. <p class="reg"> Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king, <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>did 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.” <A name="14"></a><p class="hdg">Daniel Interprets the Handwriting<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. <A name="16"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Now 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. <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>But 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.” <A name="18"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>In 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. <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Because 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. <A name="21"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>But 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. <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>He 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. <A name="23"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>But you his son,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">e</a></span> O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Instead, 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. <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription. <A name="26"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Now this is the inscription that was written: <p class="inscrip"> MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. <A name="27"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>And this is the interpretation of the message: <p class="list1stline"> MENE<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">f</a></span> means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. <A name="28"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>TEKEL<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">g</a></span> means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. <A name="29"></a><p class="list1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>PERES<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">h</a></span> means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” <A name="30"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Then 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. <A name="31"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">i</a></span> was slain, <span class="reftext"><a href="/daniel/5-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">1</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Aramaic does not include <i>Later</i><span class="thin"> </span>. Some translators include <i>Many years later</i><span class="thin"> </span> to account for the time elapsed, probably about 30 years, since the previous chapter.<br><span class="fnverse">2</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> Or <i>predecessor</i><span class="thin"> </span> or <i>grandfather</i><span class="thin"> </span>; also in verses 11, 13, and 18<br><span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotesbot">c</span> Or <i>Chaldeans</i><span class="thin"> </span>; also in verse 11<br><span class="fnverse">10</span> <span class="footnotesbot">d</span> Or <i>queen mother</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">22</span> <span class="footnotesbot">e</span> Or <i>descendant</i><span class="thin"> </span> or <i>successor</i><span class="thin"> </span> or <i>grandson</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">26</span> <span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <i>Mene</i><span class="thin"> </span> sounds like the Aramaic for <i>numbered</i><span class="thin"> </span>.<br><span class="fnverse">27</span> <span class="footnotesbot">g</span> <i>Tekel</i><span class="thin"> </span> sounds like the Aramaic for <i>weighed</i><span class="thin"> </span>.<br><span class="fnverse">28</span> <span class="footnotesbot">h</span> <i>Peres</i><span class="thin"> </span> (the singular of <i>Parsin</i><span class="thin"> </span>) sounds like the Aramaic for <i>divided</i><span class="thin"> </span> and for <i>Persia</i><span class="thin"> </span>.<br><span class="fnverse">30</span> <span class="footnotesbot">i</span> That is, the Babylonians<br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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