Holman Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1King Belshazzar held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence.

1Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.

2Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them.

2While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.

3So they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them.

3So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

4While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

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 that was writing,

5Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,

6his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together.

6and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.

7The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. 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, and have the third highest position in the kingdom."

7The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler 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.

8But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.

9Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered.

9So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

10Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen came to the banquet hall. "May the king live forever," she said. "Don't let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.

10But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.

11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. 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 diviners, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. Your own predecessor, the king,

11There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.

12did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation."

12This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” Daniel Explains the Writing

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?

13So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?

14I've heard that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.

14I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom.

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.

15My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it.

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."

16I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

17Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.

17Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.

18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.

18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.

19Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages 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.

19He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace.

20But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.

20But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

21He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal's, he lived with the wild donkeys, 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 the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it."

21He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.

22But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

22“You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.

23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.

23For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

24Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed."

24So God has sent this hand to write this message.

25This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

25“This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel , and Parsin .

26This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.

26This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.

27TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient.

27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.

28PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

28 Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

30That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed,

30That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.

31and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62.

31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.