| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. | 1Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. |
| 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. | 2When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might 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. | 3Then 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 from them. |
| 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. | 4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of 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 the fingers of a man's 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. |
| 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. | 6Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack 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 aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as 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. | 8Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or 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 greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed. |
| 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! | 10The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale. |
| 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. | 11"There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit 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 the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans 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." | 12"This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare 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? | 13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from 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. | 14"Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. |
| 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. | 15"Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare 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." | 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 interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the 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. | 17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Keep your gifts 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"Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. | 18"O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. |
| 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. | 19"Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. |
| 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. | 20"But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away 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. | 21"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. |
| 22"But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. | 22"Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though 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. | 23but you have exalted yourself against the Lord 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 from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified. |
| 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. | 24"Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out. |
| 25"This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin | 25"Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.' |
| 26"Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. | 26"This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE '-- God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. |
| 27Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. | 27"'TEKEL '-- you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. |
| 28Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." | 28"'PERES '-- your kingdom has been 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 Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed 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. |
| 30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, | 30That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. |
| 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. | 31So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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