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-Daniel Chapter 5 - (King James Version)
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of
his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 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. 3 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. 4 They drank wine, and
praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood,
and of stone.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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. 9 Then was king
Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him,
and his lords were astonied.
10 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: 11 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;
12 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.
13 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? 14 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.
15 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:
16 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.
17 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.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy
father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 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.
20 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:
21 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.
22 And thou his son, O
Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all
this;
23 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: 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him;
and this writing was written. 25 And this is the
writing that was written,
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This
is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy
kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the
balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is
divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 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.30 In that night
was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.31 And
Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two
years old. |
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Daniel Chapter 5 - (New International
Version)
1 King Belshazzar gave a
great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.
2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to
bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father
had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his
nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3
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. 4 As they drank the wine,
they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and
stone.
5 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.
6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his
knees knocked together and his legs gave way. 7 The king
called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be
brought and 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."
8 Then all the king's
wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king
what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more
terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles,
came into the banquet hall. "O king, live forever!" she said. "Don't
be alarmed! Don't look so pale! 11 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. King Nebuchadnezzar your father-your father the
king, I say-appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters,
astrologers and diviners. 12 This man 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."
13 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? 14 I have
heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight,
intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 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. 16 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."
17 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. 18 "O king, the Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory
and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him,
all the peoples and nations and men 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.
20 But when his heart
became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal
throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away
from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild
donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the
dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is
sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he
wishes.
22 "But you his son, O
Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.
23 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. 24
Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 "This is the
inscription that was written:
Mene , Mene , Tekel , Parsin
26
"This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of
your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel: You have
been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes
and Persians."
29 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. 30 That very night
Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and
Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society
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