Daniel 5

King James Version

Full text for Daniel Chapter 5

1¶ Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

2Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

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

5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

10¶ [Now] the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

11There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers;

12Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. [And] the king spake and said unto Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, which [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

14I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

15And now the wise [men], the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

16And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

22And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

23But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

24Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

25And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

26This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

28PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

29Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30¶ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

31And Darius the Median took the kingdom, [being] about threescore and two years old.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Belshazzar held a great feast, profaning sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple by drinking from them and praising pagan gods. Suddenly, a mysterious hand appeared, writing an unknown message on the palace wall, terrifying the king. When his wise men failed, Daniel was called, who interpreted the writing as divine judgment, declaring Belshazzar's kingdom numbered, weighed, and divided. That same night, Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom was taken by Darius the Median.

Medium Summary

King Belshazzar hosted a lavish feast for a thousand lords, during which he commanded the golden and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to be brought forth. He and his court drank wine from these holy vessels, praising their idols of wood and stone. In that hour, a man's hand appeared and wrote an enigmatic message on the palace wall, causing the king great distress and fear. When his astrologers and wise men could not read or interpret the writing, the queen advised calling Daniel, known for his wisdom and excellent spirit. Daniel, after rebuking Belshazzar for his pride and sacrilege despite knowing Nebuchadnezzar's fate, interpreted the words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. He declared that God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and finished it, that the king was weighed and found wanting, and that his kingdom would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Despite the dire prophecy, Daniel was rewarded, but that very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the Median assumed control of the kingdom.

Long Summary

King Belshazzar, in a display of hubris, hosted a magnificent feast for a thousand of his lords, during which he ordered the sacred golden and silver vessels, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought for their use. He, his princes, wives, and concubines drank wine from these consecrated vessels, simultaneously praising their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. In the midst of this revelry, the fingers of a man's hand miraculously appeared and wrote an inscrutable message upon the palace wall, instantly transforming the king's countenance and filling him with terror. Belshazzar desperately summoned his astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, offering rich rewards and the position of third ruler to anyone who could read and interpret the writing, but none of his wise men were able to do so, further troubling the king and astonishing his lords. The queen, hearing of the king's distress, entered the banquet hall and reminded Belshazzar of Daniel, a man in whom an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding resided, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed master of the wise men. Daniel was then brought before the king, who reiterated the promised rewards. Daniel, however, declined the gifts, stating he would interpret the writing nonetheless. He then sternly rebuked Belshazzar, reminding him of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling by the Most High God due to pride, and condemned Belshazzar for his own unhumbled heart, his sacrilegious use of the holy vessels, and his glorification of idols over the true God who held his very breath. Daniel then revealed the interpretation of the mysterious words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. "MENE" signified that God had numbered Belshazzar's kingdom and brought it to an end; "TEKEL" declared that he had been weighed in the balances and found deficient; and "PERES" (a variant of UPHARSIN) foretold that his kingdom would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Despite the grim prophecy, Belshazzar honored his promise, clothing Daniel in scarlet, placing a gold chain around his neck, and proclaiming him the third ruler. However, the divine judgment was swift and absolute, for in that very night, Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain, and Darius the Median, at sixty-two years of age, took the kingdom.

Core Concepts

  • Sacrilege and ProfanityBelshazzar's act of using the sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple for a pagan feast demonstrates a profound disrespect for God and holy things. This act directly precipitates the divine judgment that follows.
  • Divine JudgmentThe mysterious writing on the wall and Daniel's interpretation clearly illustrate God's direct intervention to judge Belshazzar for his pride, idolatry, and sacrilege. The judgment is swift and absolute, culminating in the king's death.
  • Prophetic InterpretationDaniel's unique ability, attributed to the "spirit of the holy gods," to read and interpret the divine message highlights his role as God's prophet. His interpretation reveals the immediate future and the fate of the Babylonian kingdom.
  • Pride and HumiliationThe chapter contrasts Belshazzar's unhumbled heart and pride with the earlier humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar, who eventually acknowledged the Most High God's sovereignty. Belshazzar's failure to learn from history leads to his downfall.
  • Fall of BabylonThe writing on the wall and its interpretation explicitly foretell the end of the Babylonian kingdom. This prophecy is immediately fulfilled with Belshazzar's death and the takeover by the Medes and Persians.
  • Divine SovereigntyThe narrative underscores that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, appointing over it whomsoever He will. Belshazzar's fate demonstrates that no earthly power can defy God's ultimate authority.