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Chapter 5
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Verse 1

King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

Verse 2

Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that the gold and silver vessels his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought in, so that the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them.

Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

Verse 3

So the gold vessels taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

Verse 4

They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Verse 5

At that very moment, 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.

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Verse 6

Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His hips became weak, and his knees knocked together.

Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

Verse 7

The king called out loudly to bring in the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. He declared to the wise men of Babylon, 'Whoever reads the writing and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around their neck, and be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.'

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Verse 8

Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

Verse 9

So King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale, and his nobles were baffled.

Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Verse 10

The queen, hearing the words of the king and his nobles, entered the banquet hall. She said, 'May the king live forever! Don’t let your thoughts terrify you, and don’t let your face be pale.'

Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

Verse 11

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. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners.

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

Verse 12

Because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems, this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, can solve these mysteries. Now summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.

Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

Verse 13

So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, 'Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?'

Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

Verse 14

I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have enlightenment, insight, and extraordinary wisdom.

I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

Verse 15

Now, the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not explain the meaning.

And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

Verse 16

But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. If you can read this writing and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around your neck, and be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Verse 17

Then Daniel answered the king, 'You may keep your gifts or give your rewards to someone else; nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.'

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

Verse 18

'O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, greatness, glory, and splendor.'

O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

Verse 19

Because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whomever he wanted, spared whomever he wanted, exalted whomever he wanted, and humbled whomever he wanted.

And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

Verse 20

But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.

But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

Verse 21

He was driven away from people, his mind became like that of an animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and sets over it whomever He wishes.

And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

Verse 22

But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

Verse 23

Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels from His house brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see, hear, or understand. But the God who holds your breath in His hand and controls all your ways, you have not glorified.

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

Verse 24

Therefore, He sent the hand that wrote this inscription.

Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

Verse 25

And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.

And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

Verse 26

This is the interpretation of the message: Mene means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.

This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

Verse 27

Tekel means that you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

Verse 28

Peres means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Verse 29

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, put a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Verse 30

That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

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