Dan 5 | NASB2020 | STEP | Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles , and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand .

Daniel 5

Belshazzar’s Feast

1 Belshazzar the king ^{▼▼Lit made}held a great ^bfeast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 ^{▼▼Or Under the influence of the wine}While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver ^dvessels which his ^{▼▼Or forefather, and so throughout the ch}father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them. 4 They ^fdrank the wine and praised the gods of ^ggold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king’s ^{▼▼Lit brightness changed for him
,} ⁱface became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his ^jhip joints ^{▼▼Or shook}loosened and his ^lknees began knocking together. 7 The king called aloud to bring in the ^msorcerers, the ^{▼▼I.e., probably master astrologers, diviners, etc., and so throughout the ch}Chaldeans, 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 ^oclothed with purple and have a ^pnecklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as ^qthird ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but ^rthey could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^salarmed, his ^{▼▼Lit brightness was changing upon him
,} ^uface grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.

10 The queen entered the banquet ^{▼▼Lit house}hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “ ^wO king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your ^{▼▼Lit brightness be changed}face be pale. 11 There is a ^yman in your kingdom in whom is ^{▼▼Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God}a ^aaspirit 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 ^{▼▼Or O king
,} ^acthe king --appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners. 12 This was because an ^adextraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named ^aeBelteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the ^{▼▼Lit sons of the exile
,} ^agexiles from Judah, whom my father the king ^ahbrought from Judah? 14 Now I have heard about you that ^{▼▼Or possibly the Spirit of God}a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15 Just now the ^ajwise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they ^akcould not declare the interpretation of the ^{▼▼Lit word}message. 16 But 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 ^aminterpretation known to me, you will be ^anclothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “ ^{▼▼Lit Let...be for}Keep your ^apgifts 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 ^{▼▼Lit You, O king}O king, the ^arMost High God ^asgranted ^{▼▼Or the kingdom}sovereignty, ^augreatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ^{▼▼Lit tongues}languages trembled and feared in his presence; ^awwhomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled. 20 But when his heart ^{▼▼Lit rose up}was ^ayarrogant and his spirit became so ^{▼▼Lit strong
,} ^baoverbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was ^bbdeposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him. 21 He was also ^bcdriven away from ^{▼▼Lit the sons of mankind}mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the ^bewild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the ^bfMost High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. 22 Yet you, his ^{▼▼Or descendant}son, Belshazzar, have ^bhnot humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, 23 but you have ^birisen up against the ^bjLord 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 out of them; and you have praised the ^bkgods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God ^blin whose hand are your life-breath and all your ^bmways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the ^{▼▼Lit palm of the hand
,} ^bohand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25 “Now this is the inscription that was written:

‘ ^{▼▼Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to count”}Menē, ^{▼▼Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to count”}Menē, ^{▼▼Or a shekel from verb “to weigh”}Tekēl, ^{▼▼Or and half-shekels (singular: perēs) from verb “to divide”}Upharsin.’
26 This is the interpretation of the ^{▼▼Lit word}message: ‘Menē’ --God has numbered your kingdom and ^buput an end to it. 27 ‘Tekēl’--you have been ^bvweighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 ‘ ^{▼▼Or half-shekel from verb “to divide”}Perēs’--your kingdom has been divided and given to the ^bxMedes and ^{▼▼Aram: Pāras}Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they ^bzclothed 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 third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That same night ^caBelshazzar the Chaldean king was ^cbkilled. 31 ^{▼▼Ch 6:1 in Aram}So ^cdDarius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.