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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 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../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="../topmenuchap/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="../">ESV</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 class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/daniel/5.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">The Handwriting on the Wall</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or predecessor; also verses 11, 13, 18">a</a></sup></span> 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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Then they brought in 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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Immediately 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 the hand as it wrote. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Aramaic answered and said; also verse 10">b</a></sup></span> to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>The queen,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or queen mother; twice in this verse">c</a></sup></span> because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Spirit of the holy God">d</a></sup></span> In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”</p> <p class="heading">Daniel Interprets the Handwriting</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Spirit of God">e</a></sup></span> is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages 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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>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, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>And you his son,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or successor">f</a></sup></span> Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And 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. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>And this is the writing that was inscribed: <span class="small-caps">Mene</span>, <span class="small-caps">Mene</span>, <span class="small-caps">Tekel</span>, and <span class="small-caps">Parsin</span>. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>This is the interpretation of the matter: <span class="small-caps">Mene</span>, God has numbered<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered">g</a></sup></span> the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span><span class="small-caps">Tekel</span>, you have been weighed<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed">h</a></sup></span> in the balances and found wanting; <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span><span class="small-caps">Peres</span>, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia">i</a></sup></span></p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel 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.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span><span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Ch 6:1 in Aramaic">j</a></sup></span> And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">2</span> Or <i>predecessor</i>; also verses 11, 13, 18<br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">7</span> Aramaic <i>answered and said</i>; also verse 10<br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">10</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">queen</span> mother</i>; twice in this verse<br /><span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">Spirit of the holy</span> God</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">14</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">Spirit of</span> God</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">22</span> Or <i>successor</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">g</span> <span class="fnverse">26</span> <i class="catch-word"><span class="small-caps">Mene</span></i> sounds like the Aramaic for <i class="catch-word">numbered</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">h</span> <span class="fnverse">27</span> <i class="catch-word"><span class="small-caps">Tekel</span></i> sounds like the Aramaic for <i class="catch-word">weighed</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">i</span> <span class="fnverse">28</span> <i class="catch-word"><span class="small-caps">Peres</span></i> (the singular of <i class="catch-word">Parsin</i>) sounds like the Aramaic for <i class="catch-word">divided</i> and for <i>Persia</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">j</span> <span class="fnverse">31</span> Ch 6:1 in Aramaic<br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 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