New American Standard Bible 2020

Daniel 5:7-16

7The king called aloud to bring in the 1sorcerers, the 2Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone 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 5third ruler in the kingdom.” 8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but 6they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly 7alarmed, his 8 9face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.

10The queen entered the banquet 10hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “11O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your 12face be pale. 11There is a 13man in your kingdom in whom is 14a 15spirit 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 16 17the king--appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners. 12This was because an 18extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named 19Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the 20 21exiles from Judah, whom my father the king 22brought from Judah? 14Now I have heard about you that 23a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15Just now the 24wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they 25could not declare the interpretation of the 26message. 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 27interpretation known to me, you will be 28clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third 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 I.e., probably master astrologers, diviners, etc., and so throughout the ch ↩
3. Daniel 5:7 Gen 41:42-44; Dan 5:16, 29 ↩
4. Daniel 5:7 Ezek 16:11 ↩
5. Daniel 5:7 Dan 2:48; 5:16, 29; 6:2, 3 ↩
6. Daniel 5:8 Gen 41:8; Dan 2:27; 4:7; 5:15 ↩
7. Daniel 5:9 Job 18:11; Is 21:2-4; Jer 6:24; Dan 2:1; 5:6 ↩
8. Daniel 5:9 Lit brightness was changing upon him ↩
9. Daniel 5:9 Is 13:6-8 ↩
10. Daniel 5:10 Lit house ↩
11. Daniel 5:10 Dan 3:9; 6:6 ↩
12. Daniel 5:10 Lit brightness be changed ↩
13. Daniel 5:11 Gen 41:11-15; Dan 2:47 ↩
14. Daniel 5:11 Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God ↩
15. Daniel 5:11 Dan 4:8, 9, 18; 5:14 ↩
16. Daniel 5:11 Or O king ↩
17. Daniel 5:11 Dan 2:48 ↩
18. Daniel 5:12 Dan 5:14; 6:3 ↩
19. Daniel 5:12 Dan 1:7; 4:8 ↩
20. Daniel 5:13 Lit sons of the exile ↩
21. Daniel 5:13 Ezra 4:1; 6:16, 19, 20; Dan 2:25; 6:13 ↩
22. Daniel 5:13 Dan 1:1, 2 ↩
23. Daniel 5:14 Or possibly the Spirit of God ↩
24. Daniel 5:15 Dan 5:7 ↩
25. Daniel 5:15 Is 47:12f; Dan 5:8 ↩
26. Daniel 5:15 Lit word ↩
27. Daniel 5:16 Gen 40:8 ↩
28. Daniel 5:16 Dan 5:7, 29 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Daniel 5