Daniel 5
5
Belshazzar’s Feast
1King Belshazzar#Dn 7:1; 8:1 held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. 2Under the influence of#5:2 Or When he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels#1Kg 7:51; 2Kg 24:13; 2Ch 36:7,10; Ezr 5:14; 6:5; Jr 52:19; Dn 1:2 that his predecessor#5:2 Or father, or grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. 3So they brought in the gold#5:3 Theod, Vg add and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem,#1Ch 22:2; Ezr 1:4; 2:68; 3:8; 4:24; 5:2,16–17; 6:3,12; Neh 6:10; Ps 42:4; Mt 12:4; Heb 10:21 and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.#Is 46:6
The Handwriting on the Wall
5At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand#5:5 Lit part of the hand that was writing, 6his face turned pale,#5:5–6 Lit writing, 6 the king’s brightness changed and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself#5:6 Or that the joints of his hips gave way; lit that the knots of his loins were untied and his knees knocked together. 7The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,#Gn 41:42 and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” 8So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. 9Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,#5:9 Lit his brightness changed on him and his nobles were bewildered.#Dn 2:1; 5:6; 7:28
10Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen#5:10 Perhaps the queen mother came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.#5:10 Lit your brightness change#1Kg 21:5 11There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods in him.#Dn 4:8–9,18 In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. Your own predecessor, the king, 12did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.#5:12 Lit and untie knots; also in v. 16#Gn 41:11–15; Dn 6:3 Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”
Daniel before the King
13Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?#Dn 1:3–4; 2:25 14I’ve heard that you have a spirit of the gods in you, and that insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you. 15Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”#Gn 40:8; Dn 5:7,29
17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else;#2Kg 5:15–16 however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty,#Dn 4:2 greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.#Jr 27:5–7 19Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages#Dn 2:12–13; 3:6 were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. 20But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant,#Ex 9:17; Jb 15:25; Pr 16:18; Is 57:15; Jr 48:29; Dn 4:30–31 he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.#Jr 13:18 21He was driven away from people,#Ex 9:17; Jb 15:25 his mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys,#Jb 39:5–8 he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over human kingdoms and sets anyone he wants over them.#Dn 4:30–31
22“But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart,#Ex 10:3; 2Ch 33:23; 36:12 even though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens. The vessels from his house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them,#Jr 51:39,57 you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand.#Is 2:12; 37:23; Jr 50:29; Dn 5:3–4 But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life.#5:23 Lit and all your ways belong to him#Ps 31:15 24Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
The Inscription’s Interpretation
25“This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26This is the interpretation of the message:
‘Mene’#5:26 Or a mina means that God has numbered#5:26 The Aramaic word for numbered sounds like mene. the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.#Is 13:17–19; Dn 2:44; 6:26; Hs 1:4
27‘Tekel’#5:27 Or a shekel means that you have been weighed#5:27 The Aramaic word for weighed sounds like tekel. on the balance and found deficient.
28‘Peres’#5:28 Or half a shekel#5:28 In Aramaic, the word peres is the sg form of “parsin” in v. 25. means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”#5:28 The Aramaic word for divided and Persians sounds like peres.
29Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck,#Dn 5:7,16 and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, 31and Darius the Mede#Dn 6:1; 9:1; 11:1 received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
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Daniel 5: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Daniel 5
5
Belshazzar’s party
1King Belshazzar threw a huge party for a thousand of his princes, and he drank a lot of wine in front of them. 2While he was under the wine’s influence, Belshazzar commanded that the gold and silver equipment that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem’s temple be brought to the party so that the king, his princes, his consorts, and his secondary wives could drink wine out of them. 3So the gold#5.3 Vulg, Theodotion add silver. equipment that had been carried out of the temple, God’s house in Jerusalem, was brought in; and the king, his princes, his consorts, and his secondary wives drank out of it. 4They drank a lot of wine; and they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Writing on the wall
5Right then the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the king’s palace wall in the light of the lamp. The king saw the hand that wrote. 6The king’s mood changed immediately, and he was deeply disturbed. He felt weak, and his knees were shaking. 7The king yelled, calling for the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners.
The king told these sages of Babylon: “Anyone who can read this writing and tell me its meaning will wear royal robes, will have a gold chain around his neck, and will rule the kingdom as third in command.”
8Then all the king’s sages arrived, but they couldn’t read the writing or interpret it for the king. 9At that point King Belshazzar was really frightened. All the color drained from his face, and his princes were also very worried.
10Upon hearing the commotion coming from the king and his princes, the queen entered the banqueting hall and declared, “Long live the king! Don’t be so disturbed. Don’t be so frightened. 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the breath#5.11 Or spirit; also in 5:14 of holy gods in him! When your father was alive, this man was shown to possess illumination, insight, and wisdom like the very wisdom of the gods.#5.11 Or wisdom of God Your father King Nebuchadnezzar appointed this man as chief over the dream interpreters, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. Yes, your father did this 12because this man—Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar—possesses an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight into the meaning of dreams. He can explain ambiguities and resolve mysteries. Now in light of all that, summon Daniel! He will explain the meaning of this thing.”
13So Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “So you are Daniel, the Daniel from the exiles that my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the breath of the gods is in you and that you possess illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom. 15Now, the sages and the dream interpreters were brought before me to read this writing and interpret it for me, but they couldn’t explain its meaning. 16But I’ve heard that you can explain meanings and solve mysteries. So if you can read this writing and interpret it for me, you will wear royal robes, have a gold chain around your neck, and will rule the kingdom as third in command.”
Daniel interprets the writing
17Daniel answered the king: “Keep your gifts. Give the rewards to someone else. But I will still read the writing to the king and interpret it for him. 18Listen, Your Majesty: The Most High God gave kingship, power, glory, and majesty to your father Nebuchadnezzar. 19Because of the power God gave Nebuchadnezzar, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified of him. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted: killing or sparing, exalting or humbling. 20But when he became arrogant, acting in stubborn pride, he was pulled off his royal throne and the glory was taken from him. 21He was driven away from other humans, and his mind became like an animal’s. He lived with wild donkeys, he ate grass like cattle, and dew from heaven washed his body until he realized that the Most High God dominates human kingship and sets over it anyone he wants.
22“But you who are his son, Belshazzar, you haven’t submitted, even though you’ve known all this. 23Instead, you’ve set yourself up against the Lord of heaven! The equipment of God’s house was brought to you; and you, your princes, your consorts, and your secondary wives drank wine out of it, all the while praising the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods who can’t see, hear, or know anything. But you didn’t glorify the true God who holds your very breath in his hand and who owns every road you take.
24“That’s why this hand was sent from God and why this message was written down. 25This is what was written down:
mene, mene, tekel, and parsin.#5.25 Aram Upharsin
26“This is the meaning of the word mene: God has numbered#5.26 Aram menah, which is a wordplay with Mene the days of your rule. It’s over! 27tekel means that you’ve been weighed#5.27 Aram teqal, which is a wordplay with Tekel on the scales, and you don’t measure up. 28peres#5.28 The singular form of the plural Parsin in 5:25 means your kingship is divided#5.28 Aram peras, which is a wordplay with Parsin and given to the Medes and the Persians.”#5.28 Aram Paras, another wordplay with Parsin
29Then Belshazzar commanded that Daniel be dressed in a purple robe, have a gold chain around his neck, and be officially appointed as third in command in the kingdom.
30That very same night, Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62.
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