Dànyǐlǐshū 5

1 Bǎi shā sǎ wáng wèi tāde yī qiā dàchén shè bǎi shèng yán , yǔ zhè yī qiā rén duìmiàn yǐn jiǔ .

2 Bǎi shā sǎ huān yǐn zhī jiān , fēnfu rén jiāng tā fù ( huò zuò zǔ xià tóng ) Níbùjiǎnísǎ cóng Yēlùsǎlĕng diàn zhōng suǒ lüè de jīn yínqì mǐn ná lái , wáng yǔ dàchén , huáng hòu , fēi pín hǎo yòng zhè qìmǐn yǐn jiǔ .

3 Yúshì tāmen bǎ Yēlùsǎlĕng shén diàn kù fáng zhōng suǒ lüè de jīnqì mǐn ná lái , wáng hé dàchén , huáng hòu , fēi pín jiù yòng zhè qìmǐn yǐn jiǔ .

4 Tāmen yǐn jiǔ , zànmĕi jīn , yín , tóng , tiĕ , mù , shí suǒ zào de shén .

5 Dāngshí , hū yǒu rén de zhítou xiǎn chū , zaì wánggōng yǔ dēngtái xiāngduì de fĕn qiáng shang xiĕ zì . wáng kànjian xiĕ zì de zhítou ,

6 Jiù biàn le liǎnsè , xīnyì jīng huáng , yào gú hǎoxiàng tuō jié , shuāng xī bǐcǐ xiāng pèng ,

7 Dàshēng fēnfu jiāng yòng fǎshù de hé Jiālèdǐ rén bìng guān zhào de lǐng jìnlái , duì Bābǐlún de zhé shì shuō , shuí néng dòu zhè wén zì , bǎ jiǎngjiĕ gàosu wǒ , tā bì shēn chuān zǐ paó , xiàng daì jīn liàn , zaì wǒ guó zhōng wèi liè dì sān .

8 Yúshì wáng de yīqiè zhé shì dōu jìnlái , què bùnéng dòu nà wén zì , yĕ bùnéng bǎ jiǎngjiĕ gàosu wáng .

9 Bǎi shā sǎ wáng jiù shén jīng huáng , liǎnsè gǎibiàn , tāde dàchén yĕ dōu jīngqí .

10 Taì hòu ( huò zuò huáng hòu xià tóng ) yīn wáng hé tā dàchén suǒ shuō de huà , jiù jìnrù yàn gōng , shuō , yuàn wáng wàn suì . nǐ xīnyì búyào jīng huáng , liǎnmiàn búyào biàn shǎi .

11 Zaì nǐ guó zhōng yǒu yī rén , tā lǐtou yǒu shèng shén de líng , nǐ fù zaì shì de rìzi , zhè rén xīn zhōng guāngmíng , yòu yǒu cōngming zhìhuì , hǎoxiàng shén de zhìhuì . nǐ fù Níbùjiǎnísǎ wáng , jiù shì wáng de fù , lì tā wèi shùshì , yòng fǎshù de , hé Jiālèdǐ rén , bìng guān zhào de lǐng xiù .

12 Zaì tā lǐtou yǒu mĕihǎo de língxìng , yòu yǒu zhīshi cōngming , néng yuán mèng , shì míyǔ , jiĕ yíhuò . zhè rén míng jiào Dànyǐlǐ , Níbùjiǎnísǎ wáng yòu chēng tā wèi bǎi tí shā sǎ , xiànzaì kĕyǐ zhào tā lái , tā bì jiĕ míng zhè yìsi .

13 Dànyǐlǐ jiù beì lǐng dào wáng qián . wáng wèn Dànyǐlǐ shuō , nǐ shì beìlǔ zhī Yóudà rén zhōng de Dànyǐlǐ ma . jiù shì wǒ fù wáng cóng Yóudà lǔ lái de ma .

14 Wǒ tīngshuō nǐ lǐtou yǒu shén de líng , xīn zhōng guāngmíng , yòu yǒu cōngming hé mĕihǎo de zhìhuì .

15 Xiànzaì zhé shì hé yòng fǎshù de dōu lǐng dào wǒ miànqián , wèi jiào tāmen dòu zhè wén zì , bǎ jiǎngjiĕ gàosu wǒ , wúnaì tāmen dōu bùnéng bǎ jiǎngjiĕ shuō chūlai .

16 Wǒ tīngshuō nǐ shàn yú jiǎngjiĕ , néng jiĕ yíhuò . xiànzaì nǐ ruò néng dòu zhè wén zì , bǎ jiǎngjiĕ gàosu wǒ , jiù bì shēn chuān zǐ paó , xiàng daì jīn liàn , zaì wǒ guó zhōng wèi liè dì sān .

17 Dànyǐlǐ zaì wáng miànqián huídá shuō , nǐde zèng pǐn kĕyǐ guī nǐ zìjǐ , nǐde shǎngcì kĕyǐ guī gĕi biérén . wǒ què yào wèi wáng dòu zhè wén zì , bǎ jiǎngjiĕ gàosu wáng .

18 Wáng a , zhìgāo de shén céng jiāng guó wèi , dà quán , róngyào , wēiyán cì yǔ nǐ fù Níbùjiǎnísǎ .

19 Yīn shén suǒ cì tāde dà quán , gè fāng , gè guó , gè zú de rén dōu zaì tā miànqián shān jīng kǒngjù . tā kĕyǐ suíyì shēng shā , suíyì shēng jiàng .

20 Dàn tā xīn gāo qì ào , líng yĕ gāng bì , shènzhì xíngshì kuángào , jiù beì gé qù wáng wèi , duó qù róngyào .

21 Tā beì gǎn chū líkāi shìrén , tāde xīn biàn rú shòu xīn , yǔ yĕ lü tóngjū , chī cǎo rú niú , shēn beì tiān lòu dī shī , dĕng tā zhīdào zhìgāo de shén zaì rén de guó zhōng zhǎngquán , píng zìjǐ de yìzhǐ lì rén zhì guó .

22 Bǎi shā sǎ a , nǐ shì tāde érzi ( huò zuò sūnzi ) , nǐ suī zhīdào zhè yīqiè , nǐ xīn réng bù zìbēi ,

23 Jìng xiàng tiān shang de zhǔ zì gāo , shǐ rén jiāng tā diàn zhōng de qìmǐn ná dào nǐ miànqián , nǐ hé dàchén , huáng hòu , fēi pín yòng zhè qìmǐn yǐn jiǔ . nǐ yòu zànmĕi nà bùnéng kàn , bùnéng tīng , wúzhī wú shí , jīn , yín , tóng , tiĕ , mù , shí suǒ zào de shén , què méiyǒu jiāng róngyào guīyú nà shǒu zhōng yǒu nǐ qìxī , guǎnlǐ nǐ yīqiè xíngdòng de shén .

24 Yīncǐ cóng shén nàli xiǎn chū zhítou lái xiĕ zhè wén zì .

25 Suǒ xiĕ de wén zì shì , mí ní , mí ní , tí kè lēi , wū fǎ Ěr xīn .

26 Jiǎngjiĕ shì zhèyàng , mí ní , jiù shì shén yǐjing shǔ suàn nǐ guó de nián rì dào cǐ wánbì .

27 Tí kè lēi , jiù shì nǐ beì chēng zaì tiān píng lǐ , xiǎn chū nǐde kuīqiàn .

28 Pí lēi sī ( yǔ wū fǎ Ěr xīn tóng yì ) , jiù shì nǐde guó fēnliè , guīyǔ Mǎdaì rén hé Bōsī rén .

29 Bǎi shā sǎ xià líng , rén jiù bǎ zǐ paó gĕi Dànyǐlǐ chuān shang , bǎ jīn liàn gĕi tā daì zaì jǐngxiàng shang , yòu zhuàn líng shǐ tā zaì guó zhōng wèi liè dì sān .

30 Dāng yè , Jiālèdǐ wáng bǎi shā sǎ beì shā .

31 Mǎdaì rén Dàlìwū nián liù shí èr suì , qǔ le Jiālèdǐ guó .

Dànyǐlǐshū 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Belshazzar's impious feast; the hand-writing on the wall. (1-9) Daniel is sent for to interpret it. (10-17) Daniel warns the king of his destruction. (18-31)

Verses 1-9 Belshazzar bade defiance to the judgments of God. Most historians consider that Cyrus then besieged Babylon. Security and sensuality are sad proofs of approaching ruin. That mirth is sinful indeed, which profanes sacred things; and what are many of the songs used at modern feasts better than the praises sung by the heathens to their gods! See how God struck terror upon Belshazzar and his lords. God's written word is enough to put the proudest, boldest sinner in a fright. What we see of God, the part of the hand that writes in the book of the creatures, and in the book of the Scriptures, should fill us with awful thoughts concerning that part which we do not see. If this be the finger of God, what is his arm when made bare? And what is He? The king's guilty conscience told him that he had no reason to expect any good news from heaven. God can, in a moment, make the heart of the stoutest sinner to tremble; and there needs no more than to let loose his own thoughts upon him; they will give him trouble enough. No bodily pain can equal the inward agony which sometimes seizes the sinner in the midst of mirth, carnal pleasures, and worldly pomp. Sometimes terrors cause a man to flee to Christ for pardon and peace; but many cry out for fear of wrath, who are not humbled for their sins, and who seek relief by lying vanities. The ignorance and uncertainty concerning the Holy Scriptures, shown by many who call themselves wise, only tend to drive sinners to despair, as the ignorance of these wise men did.

Verses 10-17 Daniel was forgotten at court; he lived privately, and was then ninety years of age. Many consult servants of God on curious questions, or to explain difficult subjects, but without asking the way of salvation, or the path of duty. Daniel slighted the offer of reward. He spoke to Belshazzar as to a condemned criminal. We should despise all the gifts and rewards this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith, its end hastening on; but let us do our duty in the world, and do it all the real service we can.

Verses 18-31 Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Sinners are pleased with gods that neither see, nor hear, nor know; but they will be judged by One to whom all things are open. Daniel reads the sentence written on the wall. All this may well be applied to the doom of every sinner. At death, the sinner's days are numbered and finished; after death is the judgment, when he will be weighed in the balance, and found wanting; and after judgment the sinner will be cut asunder, and given as a prey to the devil and his angels. While these things were passing in the palace, it is considered that the army of Cyrus entered the city; and when Belshazzar was slain, a general submission followed. Soon will every impenitent sinner find the writing of God's word brought to pass upon him, whether he is weighed in the balance of the law as a self-righteous Pharisee, or in that of the gospel as a painted hypocrite.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL 5

This chapter gives an account of a feast made by King Belshazzar, attended with drunkenness, idolatry, and profanation of the vessels taken out of the temple at Jerusalem, Da 5:1-4, and of the displeasure of God, signified by a handwriting on the wall, which terrified the king, and caused him to send in haste for the astrologers to read and interpret it, but they could not, Da 5:5-8, in this distress, which appeared in the countenances of him and his nobles, the queen mother advises him to send for Daniel, of whom she gives a great encomium, Da 5:9-12, upon which he was brought in to the king, and promised a great reward to read and interpret the writing; the reward he slighted, but promised to read and interpret the writing, Da 5:13-17 and after putting him in mind of what had befallen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, and charging him with pride, idolatry, and profanation of the vessels of the Lord, Da 5:18-23 reads and interprets the writing to him Da 5:24-28, when he had honour done him, and was preferred in the government, Da 5:29 and the chapter is concluded with an account of the immediate accomplishment of ancient prophecies, and of this handwriting, in the slaying of the king of Babylon, in the dissolution of the Babylonish monarchy, and the possession of it by Darius the Mede, Da 5:30,31.