| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. | 1King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all. |
| 2While 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. | 2While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels--the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem--so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. |
| 3So 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. | 3So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. |
| 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. | 4As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. |
| 5Suddenly 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. | 5At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the royal palace wall, opposite the lampstand. The king was watching the back of the hand that was writing. |
| 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. | 6Then all the color drained from the king's face and he became alarmed. The joints of his hips gave way, and his knees began knocking together. |
| 7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he 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." | 7The king called out loudly to summon the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple and have a golden collar placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom. |
| 8Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. | 8So all the king's wise men came in, but they were unable to read the writing or to make known its interpretation to the king. |
| 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. | 9Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. His nobles were completely dumbfounded. |
| 10The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. "May the king live forever!" she said. "Don't be alarmed! Don't look so pale! | 10Due to the noise caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother then entered the banquet room. She said, "O king, live forever! Don't be alarmed! Don't be shaken! |
| 11There 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. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. | 11There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have insight, discernment, and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners. |
| 12He did this because 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." | 12Thus there was found in this man Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar, an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and skill to interpret dreams, solve riddles, and decipher knotty problems. Now summon Daniel, and he will disclose the interpretation." |
| 13So 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? | 13So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? |
| 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. | 14I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom. |
| 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. | 15Now the wise men and astrologers were brought before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they were unable to disclose the interpretation of the message. |
| 16Now 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." | 16However, I have heard that you are able to provide interpretations and to decipher knotty problems. Now if you are able to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will wear purple and have a golden collar around your neck and be third ruler in the kingdom." |
| 17Then 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. | 17But Daniel replied to the king, "Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else! However, I will read the writing for the king and make known its interpretation. |
| 18"Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. | 18As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. |
| 19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples 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. | 19Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. |
| 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. | 20And when his mind became arrogant and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. |
| 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. | 21He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes. |
| 22"But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. | 22"But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this. |
| 23Instead, 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. | 23Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone--gods that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control your very breath and all your ways! |
| 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. | 24Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed. |
| 25"This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin | 25"This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEQEL, and PHARSIN. |
| 26"Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. | 26This is the interpretation of the words: As for mene--God has numbered your kingdom's days and brought it to an end. |
| 27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. | 27As for teqel--you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. |
| 28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." | 28As for peres--your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians." |
| 29Then 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. | 29Then, on Belshazzar's orders, Daniel was clothed in purple, a golden collar was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed third ruler in the kingdom. |
| 30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, | 30And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. |
| 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. | 31So Darius the Mede took control of the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old. |
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