Belshazzar’s Feast 2 ULT Belshazzar said in the taste of the wine to bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out from the temple that{ was} in Jerusalem so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. BSB BSB: Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
3 ULT Then they brought the vessels of gold that he had taken out from the temple of the house of God that{ was} in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. BSB BSB: Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
4 ULT They drank wine, and they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. BSB BSB: As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
The Handwriting on the Wall 5 ULT In that moment, the fingers of the hand of a man came out, and they were writing, before the lampstand, on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king. And the king was seeing the palm of the hand that was writing. BSB BSB: At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
6 ULT Then the king, his splendors changed{ for} him, and his thoughts alarmed him. And the joints of his loins were loosened, and his knees knocked, this to this. BSB BSB: his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
7 ULT The king called out in strength to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king answered and was saying to the wise men of Babylon that,“Any man who reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall wear purple, and a chain of gold{ shall be} around his neck, and he shall rule{ as} the third in the kingdom.” BSB BSB: The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation 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.”
8 ULT Then all of the wise men of the king were coming in, but they were not being able to read the writing or to make the king know the interpretation. BSB BSB: So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.
9 ULT Then King Belshazzar was being alarmed greatly, and his splendors were changing upon him, and his nobles were being perplexed. BSB BSB: Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
10 ULT The queen came in to the house of the banquet because of the words of the king and his nobles. The queen answered and said,“O king, live to eternities! May your thoughts not alarm you, and may your splendors not be changed. BSB BSB: Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.
11 ULT There is a man in your kingdom in whom{ is} the spirit of the holy gods. And 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, set him up{ as} chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, diviners, BSB BSB: There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
12 ULT all before that an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding, interpreting of dreams and solving of riddles and loosening of knots, were found in him, Daniel, whom the king made his name Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” BSB BSB: did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting 13 ULT Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and was saying to Daniel,“Are you Daniel, who{ is} from the sons of the captivity of Judah that my father the king brought from Judah? BSB BSB: So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14 ULT Now I have heard about you that the spirit of the gods{ is} in you and light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. BSB BSB: I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
15 ULT And now, the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me that they might read this writing and make me know its interpretation, but they are not being able to show the interpretation of the matter. BSB BSB: Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.
16 ULT But I, I have heard about you, that you are able to interpret interpretations and to loosen knots. And now, if you are able to read the writing and to make me know its interpretation, you shall wear purple and a chain of gold{ shall be} around your neck and you shall rule{ as} the third in the kingdom.” BSB BSB: But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, 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.”
17 ULT Then Daniel answered and was saying 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 him know the interpretation. BSB BSB: In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.
18 ULT { As for} you, O king, the Most High God gave the kingdom and greatness and honor and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. BSB BSB: As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
19 ULT And from the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing from before him. Whom he was wishing, he was killing, and whom he was wishing, he was letting live. And whom he was wishing, he was lifting up, and whom he was wishing, he was humbling. BSB BSB: Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
20 ULT But because his heart lifted{ itself} up and his spirit became strong to be proud, he was brought down from the throne of his kingdom and they removed his glory from him. BSB BSB: But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
21 ULT And he was driven from the sons of man, and his heart resembled with an animal, and his dwelling{ was} with the wild donkeys. They fed him grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until that he knew that the Most High God{ is} ruler over the kingdom of man and whom that he wishes, he sets up over it. BSB BSB: He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22 ULT But you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, all before that you knew all of this. BSB BSB: But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23 ULT But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of the heavens. And the vessels of his house have been brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them, and the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which are not seeing and are not hearing and are not knowing, you have praised, but the God who, your breath{ is} in his hand and all of your ways{ are} to him, you have not honored. BSB BSB: Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
24 ULT Then from before him the palm of a hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. BSB BSB: Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 ULT And this{ is} the writing that was inscribed:‘Mene,’‘Mene,’‘Tekel,’ and‘Parsin.’ BSB BSB: Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
26 ULT This{ is} the interpretation of the matter.‘Mene’: God has numbered your kingdom and ended it. BSB BSB: And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27 ULT ‘Tekel’: you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. BSB BSB: TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28 ULT ‘Peres’: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Mede and the Persian.” BSB BSB: PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
31 ULT and Darius the Mede received the kingdom as a son of 62 years. BSB BSB: and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
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