Self-interpreting Bible

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Daniel 5

1Belshazzar's impious feast. 5The handwriting on the wall, which the magicians could not explain, troubleth him: 10at the recommendation of the queen Daniel is brought in: 17he reproveth the king of pride, profaneness, and idolatry: 25he readeth and interpreteth the writing. 30Belshazzar slain; the kingdom translated to the Medes.


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

2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring cthe golden and silver vessels which his 1father Nebuchadnezzar had 2taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, dmight drink therein.

3 Then 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.

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

    5 ¶In the gsame 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.

    6 hThen the king's 3countenance 4was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the 5joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

    7 The king cried 6aloud ito bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the *soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to jthe wise men of Babylon, kWhosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, lshall be clothed with 7scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the mthird ruler in the kingdom.

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

    9 Then was king Belshazzar ogreatly troubled, and his 8countenance was changed in him, and his lords pwere *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, qO king, live for ever: rlet not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

    11 sThere is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy 9father 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 tmaster of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and *soothsayers;

    12 Forasmuch as uan excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, 10interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and 11dissolving of 12doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named vBelteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

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

    14 yI 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.

    15 zAnd 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:

    16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst 14make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now aif thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, bthou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

    17 ¶Then Daniel answered and said before the king, cLet thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy 15rewards to another; yet I will read the dwriting unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

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

    19 gAnd for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, htrembled 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.

    20 But iwhen his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened 16in pride, he was 17deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

    21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and 18his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and jhis body was wet with the dew of heaven; ktill he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

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

    23 But nhast lifted up thyself against othe Lord of heaven; pand 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 qpraised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, rwhich see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God sin whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not tglorified:

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

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

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

      27 TEKEL; Thou art wweighed in the balances, and art found xwanting.

      28 PERES; Thy kingdom is ydivided, and given to zthe Medes and Persians.

      29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they aclothed 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 ¶bIn that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

      31 And cDarius the Median took the kingdom, 19being 20about threescore and two years old.