New American Standard Bible 1995

Daniel 5:7-29

7The king called aloud to bring in the 1conjurers, the 2Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be 3clothed with purple and have a 4necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as 5 6third ruler in the kingdom.” 8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but 7they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly 8alarmed, his 9 10face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.

10The queen entered the banquet 11hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “12O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your 13face be pale. 11There is a 14man in your kingdom in whom is 15a 16spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father 17 18the king, appointed him chief of the 19magicians, conjurers, 20Chaldeans and diviners. 12This was because an 21extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named 22Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the 23 24exiles from Judah, whom my father the king 25brought from Judah? 14Now I have heard about you that 26a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15Just now the 27wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they 28could not declare the interpretation of the 29message. 16But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its 30interpretation known to me, you will be 31clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the 32third ruler in the kingdom.”

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “33Keep your 34gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 35O king, the 36Most High God 37granted 38sovereignty, 39grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every 40language feared and trembled before him; 41whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. 20But when his heart was 42lifted up and his spirit became so 43 44proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was 45deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21He was also 46driven away from 47mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the 48wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the 49Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. 22Yet you, his 50son, Belshazzar, have 51not humbled your heart, 52even though you knew all this, 23but you have 53exalted yourself against the 54Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the 55gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God 56in whose hand are your life-breath and all your 57ways, you have not glorified. 24Then the 58 59hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘60Menē, 61Menē, 62Tekēl, 63Upharsin.’ 26This is the interpretation of the 64message: ‘Menē’--God has numbered your kingdom and 65put an end to it. 27‘Tekēl’--you have been 66weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28‘Perēs’--your kingdom has been divided and given over to the 67Medes and 68Persians.”

29Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they 69clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the 70third ruler in the kingdom.

Read all of Daniel 5

Notes

1. Daniel 5:7 Is 44:25; 47:13; Dan 4:6, 7; 5:11, 15 ↩
2. Daniel 5:7 Or master astrologers ↩
3. Daniel 5:7 Gen 41:42-44; Dan 5:16, 29 ↩
4. Daniel 5:7 Ezek 16:11 ↩
5. Daniel 5:7 Or a triumvir ↩
6. Daniel 5:7 Dan 2:48; 5:16, 29; 6:2, 3 ↩
7. Daniel 5:8 Gen 41:8; Dan 2:27; 4:7; 5:15 ↩
8. Daniel 5:9 Job 18:11; Is 21:2-4; Jer 6:24; Dan 2:1; 5:6 ↩
9. Daniel 5:9 Lit brightness was changing upon him ↩
10. Daniel 5:9 Is 13:6-8 ↩
11. Daniel 5:10 Lit house ↩
12. Daniel 5:10 Dan 3:9; 6:6 ↩
13. Daniel 5:10 Lit brightness be changed ↩
14. Daniel 5:11 Gen 41:11-15; Dan 2:47 ↩
15. Daniel 5:11 Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God ↩
16. Daniel 5:11 Dan 4:8, 9, 18; 5:14 ↩
17. Daniel 5:11 Or O king ↩
18. Daniel 5:11 Dan 2:48 ↩
19. Daniel 5:11 Or soothsayer priests ↩
20. Daniel 5:11 Or master astrologers ↩
21. Daniel 5:12 Dan 5:14; 6:3 ↩
22. Daniel 5:12 Dan 1:7; 4:8 ↩
23. Daniel 5:13 Lit sons of the exile ↩
24. Daniel 5:13 Ezra 4:1; 6:16, 19, 20; Dan 2:25; 6:13 ↩
25. Daniel 5:13 Dan 1:1, 2 ↩
26. Daniel 5:14 Or possibly the Spirit of God ↩
27. Daniel 5:15 Dan 5:7 ↩
28. Daniel 5:15 Is 47:12f; Dan 5:8 ↩
29. Daniel 5:15 Lit word ↩
30. Daniel 5:16 Gen 40:8 ↩
31. Daniel 5:16 Dan 5:7, 29 ↩
32. Daniel 5:16 Or triumvir ↩
33. Daniel 5:17 Lit Let...be for ↩
34. Daniel 5:17 2 Kin 5:16 ↩
35. Daniel 5:18 Lit You, O king ↩
36. Daniel 5:18 Dan 4:2; 5:21 ↩
37. Daniel 5:18 Dan 2:37, 38; 4:17 ↩
38. Daniel 5:18 Or the kingdom ↩
39. Daniel 5:18 Jer 25:9; 27:5-7 ↩
40. Daniel 5:19 Lit tongue ↩
41. Daniel 5:19 Dan 2:12, 13; 3:6; 11:3, 16, 36 ↩
42. Daniel 5:20 Ex 9:17; Job 15:25; Is 14:13-15; Dan 4:30, 31 ↩
43. Daniel 5:20 Lit strong ↩
44. Daniel 5:20 2 Kin 17:14; 2 Chr 36:13 ↩
45. Daniel 5:20 Job 40:11, 12; Jer 13:18 ↩
46. Daniel 5:21 Job 30:3-7; Dan 4:32, 33 ↩
47. Daniel 5:21 Lit the sons of man ↩
48. Daniel 5:21 Job 39:5-8 ↩
49. Daniel 5:21 Ex 9:14-16; Ps 83:17, 18; Ezek 17:24; Dan 4:17, 34, 35 ↩
50. Daniel 5:22 Or descendant ↩
51. Daniel 5:22 Ex 10:3; 2 Chr 33:23; 36:12 ↩
52. Daniel 5:22 Lit inasmuch as you ↩
53. Daniel 5:23 2 Kin 14:10; Is 2:12; 37:23; Jer 50:29; Dan 5:3, 4 ↩
54. Daniel 5:23 Dan 4:37 ↩
55. Daniel 5:23 Ps 115:4-8; Is 37:19; Hab 2:18, 19 ↩
56. Daniel 5:23 Job 12:10 ↩
57. Daniel 5:23 Job 31:4; Ps 139:3; Prov 20:24; Jer 10:23 ↩
58. Daniel 5:24 Lit palm of the hand ↩
59. Daniel 5:24 Dan 5:5 ↩
60. Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to number” ↩
61. Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to number” ↩
62. Daniel 5:25 Or a shekel from verb “to weigh” ↩
63. Daniel 5:25 Or and half-shekels (sing: perēs) from verb “to divide” ↩
64. Daniel 5:26 Lit word ↩
65. Daniel 5:26 Is 13:6, 17-19; Jer 50:41-43 ↩
66. Daniel 5:27 Job 31:6; Ps 62:9 ↩
67. Daniel 5:28 Is 13:17; 21:2; 45:1, 2; Dan 5:31; 6:8, 28; Acts 2:9 ↩
68. Daniel 5:28 Aram: Pāras ↩
69. Daniel 5:29 Dan 5:7, 16 ↩
70. Daniel 5:29 Or triumvir ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Daniel 5