Daniel 5 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Daniel 5 ►

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1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.

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

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 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 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 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.

4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

4While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, 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.

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 he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

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

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 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!”

8Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

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

9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

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

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!

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 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 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.

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."

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

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 asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?

14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.

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

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

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."

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 for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

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

18"Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.

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

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.

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 became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.

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 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. 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.

22"But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, 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 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.

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 that wrote the inscription.

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

25"This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin

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

26"Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign 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: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

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

28Peres: Your kingdom is 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 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 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, king of the Babylonians, was slain,

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

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

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

New International Version (NIV)

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