Parallel Bible results for "daniel 5"

Daniel 5

English Standard Version ESV

1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.

3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

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

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.

6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.

9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.

11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father--your father the king--made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.

14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.

16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.

19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.

20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.

22 And you his son,Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

24 "Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.

25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;

27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;

28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

The Message Bible MSG

1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for his one thousand nobles. The wine flowed freely.

2 Belshazzar, heady with the wine, ordered that the gold and silver chalices his father Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from God's Temple of Jerusalem be brought in so that he and his nobles, his wives and concubines, could drink from them.

3 When the gold and silver chalices were brought in, the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank wine from them.

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

5 At that very moment, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the lamp-illumined, whitewashed wall of the palace. When the king saw the disembodied hand writing away,

6 he went white as a ghost, scared out of his wits. His legs went limp and his knees knocked.

7 He yelled out for the enchanters, the fortunetellers, and the diviners to come. He told these Babylonian magi, "Anyone who can read this writing on the wall and tell me what it means will be famous and rich - purple robe, the great gold chain - and be third-in-command in the kingdom."

8 One after the other they tried, but could make no sense of it. They could neither read what was written nor interpret it to the king.

9 So now the king was really frightened. All the blood drained from his face. The nobles were in a panic.

10 The queen heard of the hysteria among the king and his nobles and came to the banquet hall. She said, "Long live the king! Don't be upset. Don't sit around looking like ghosts.

11 There is a man in your kingdom who is full of the divine Holy Spirit. During your father's time he was well known for his intellectual brilliance and spiritual wisdom. He was so good that your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him the head of all the magicians, enchanters, fortunetellers, and diviners.

12 There was no one quite like him. He could do anything - interpret dreams, solve mysteries, explain puzzles. His name is Daniel, but he was renamed Belteshazzar by the king. Have Daniel called in. He'll tell you what is going on here."

13 So Daniel was called in. The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel who was one of the Jewish exiles my father brought here from Judah?

14 I've heard about you - that you're full of the Holy Spirit, that you've got a brilliant mind, that you are incredibly wise.

15 The wise men and enchanters were brought in here to read this writing on the wall and interpret it for me. They couldn't figure it out - not a word, not a syllable.

16 But I've heard that you interpret dreams and solve mysteries. So - if you can read the writing and interpret it for me, you'll be rich and famous - a purple robe, the great gold chain around your neck - and third-in-command in the kingdom."

17 Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

18 "Listen, O king! The High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and a glorious reputation.

19 Because God made him so famous, people from everywhere, whatever their race, color, and creed, were totally intimidated by him. He killed or spared people on whim. He promoted or humiliated people capriciously.

20 He developed a big head and a hard spirit. Then God knocked him off his high horse and stripped him of his fame.

21 He was thrown out of human company, lost his mind, and lived like a wild animal. He ate grass like an ox and was soaked by heaven's dew until he learned his lesson: that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts anyone he wants in charge.

22 "You are his son and have known all this, yet you're as arrogant as he ever was.

23 Look at you, setting yourself up in competition against the Master of heaven! You had the sacred chalices from his Temple brought into your drunken party so that you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, could drink from them. You used the sacred chalices to toast your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone - blind, deaf, and imbecile gods. But you treat with contempt the living God who holds your entire life from birth to death in his hand.

24 "God sent the hand that wrote on the wall,

25 and this is what is written: mene, teqel, and peres.

26 This is what the words mean: "Mene: God has numbered the days of your rule and they don't add up.

27 "Teqel: You have been weighed on the scales and you don't weigh much.

28 "Peres: Your kingdom has been divided up and handed over to the Medes and Persians."

29 Belshazzar did what he had promised. He robed Daniel in purple, draped the great gold chain around his neck, and promoted him to third-in-charge in the kingdom.

30 That same night the Babylonian king Belshazzar was murdered.

31 He was sixty-two years old. Darius the Mede succeeded him as king.