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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=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Daniel 5 New American Bible</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="/bmcc/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/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</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">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch34005" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn34005" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">The Writing on the Wall.</span> <span id="v34005001" class="ver">1</span>King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank. <span id="v34005002" class="ver">2</span>Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,<a id="rfn34005002-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn34005002-1">*</a> had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines might drink from them. <span id="v34005003" class="ver">3</span>When the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, had been brought in, and while the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines were drinking <span id="v34005004" class="ver">4</span>wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.</p> <p><span id="v34005005" class="ver">5</span>Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote, <span id="v34005006" class="ver">6</span>his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked. <span id="v34005007" class="ver">7</span>The king shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought in. “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means,” he said to the wise men of Babylon, “shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around his neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.” <span id="v34005008" class="ver">8</span>But though all the king’s wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant. <span id="v34005009" class="ver">9</span>Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified; his face became pale, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.</p> <p><span id="v34005010" class="ver">10</span>When the queen heard of the discussion between the king and his nobles, she entered the banquet hall and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face become so pale! <span id="v34005011" class="ver">11</span>There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; during the lifetime of your father he showed brilliant insight and god-like wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. <span id="v34005012" class="ver">12</span>Because this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has shown an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight in interpreting dreams, explaining riddles and solving problems, let him now be summoned to tell you what this means.”</p> <p><span id="v34005013" class="ver">13</span>Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? <span id="v34005014" class="ver">14</span>I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you have shown brilliant insight and extraordinary wisdom. <span id="v34005015" class="ver">15</span>The wise men and enchanters were brought in to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning, but they could not say what the words meant. <span id="v34005016" class="ver">16</span>But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems; now, if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.”</p> <p><span id="v34005017" class="ver">17</span>Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means. <span id="v34005018" class="ver">18</span>The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, splendor, and majesty. <span id="v34005019" class="ver">19</span>Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he willed, he would kill or let live; whomever he willed, he would exalt or humble. <span id="v34005020" class="ver">20</span>But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory; <span id="v34005021" class="ver">21</span><a id="ren34005021-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en34005021-a">a</a> he was cast out from human society and his heart was made like that of a beast; he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingship and sets over it whom he will. <span id="v34005022" class="ver">22</span>You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; <span id="v34005023" class="ver">23</span>you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. <span id="v34005024" class="ver">24</span>By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down.</p> <p><span id="v34005025" class="ver">25</span>“This is the writing that was inscribed: <span class="sm">Mene</span>, <span class="sm">Tekel</span>, and <span class="sm">Peres</span>.<a id="rfn34005025-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn34005025-1">*</a> These words mean: <span id="v34005026" class="ver">26</span><a id="rfn34005026-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn34005026-1">*</a> <span class="sm">Mene</span>, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; <span id="v34005027" class="ver">27</span><span class="sm">Tekel</span>, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; <span id="v34005028" class="ver">28</span><span class="sm">Peres</span>, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”</p> <p><span id="v34005029" class="ver">29</span>Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed him third in governing the kingdom. <span id="v34005030" class="ver">30</span>That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain:</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../daniel/4.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Daniel 4"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Daniel 4" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../daniel/6.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Daniel 6"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Daniel 6" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>