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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 NIV</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="../">NIV</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 International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/daniel/5.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="sectionhead">The Writing on the Wall</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18">a</a></sup></span> had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, 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>So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, 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>As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11">b</a></sup></span> and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means 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.”</p> <p class="reg"><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 tell the king what it meant. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>The queen, <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or queen mother">c</a></sup></span> hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/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 time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/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 outstanding wisdom. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, 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.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>“But you, Belshazzar, his son, <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or descendant; or successor">d</a></sup></span> have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>“This is the inscription that was written:</p><p class="inscription">mene, mene, tekel, parsin</p> <p class="introduction"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>“Here is what these words mean:</p><div class="serieslist"><p class="item1"><span class="foreign">Mene</span> <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).">e</a></sup></span> : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.</p> <p class="item1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span><span class="foreign">Tekel</span> <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.">f</a></sup></span> : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.</p> <p class="item1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span><span class="foreign">Peres</span> <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.">g</a></sup></span> : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”</p></div> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Chaldeans">h</a></sup></span> was slain, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/daniel/5-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.">i</a></sup></span> </p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">2</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>ancestor</i>; or <i>predecessor</i>; also in verses 11, 13 and 18</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>Chaldeans</i>; also in verse 11</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">10</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>queen mother</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">22</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>descendant</i>; or <i>successor</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">26</span> <span class="footnotebot"><i>Mene</i> can mean <i>numbered</i> or <i>mina</i> (a unit of money).</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">27</span> <span class="footnotebot"><i>Tekel</i> can mean <i>weighed</i> or <i>shekel</i>.</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">g</span> <span class="fnverse">28</span> <span class="footnotebot"><i>Peres</i> (the singular of <i>Parsin</i>) can mean <i>divided</i> or <i>Persia</i> or <i>a half mina</i> or <i>a half shekel</i>.</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">h</span> <span class="fnverse">30</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>Chaldeans</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">i</span> <span class="fnverse">31</span> <span class="footnotebot">In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.</span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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