# Daniel 5

> Lumin Translation

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/read/daniel/5

Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Brackets mark verses not found in the earliest manuscripts.

How it was made: https://www.lumin.faith/lumin-translation.md

1. King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine in front of the thousand.
2. Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them.
3. So they brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, 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. At that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
6. Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His hips gave way, and his knees knocked together.
7. The king shouted for the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners to be brought in. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold around his neck, and he will rule as third in the kingdom.”
8. Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known its interpretation to the king.
9. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his face turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
10. Because of the words of the king and his nobles, the queen came into the banquet hall. The queen said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face turn pale.
11. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, insight, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners,
12. because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be summoned, and he will tell you the interpretation.”
13. So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?
14. I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that insight, understanding, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.
15. Just now the wise men, the enchanters, were brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the words.
16. But I have heard of you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will rule as third in the kingdom.”
17. Then Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself, and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and make known to him the interpretation.
18. O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom and greatness, glory and majesty.
19. Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and people of every language trembled and were afraid before him. Whomever he wanted, he killed, and whomever he wanted, he kept alive; whomever he wanted, he raised up, and whomever he wanted, he brought low.
20. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hardened so that he acted arrogantly, he was brought down from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
21. He was driven away from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys; he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of humankind and sets over it whomever he wishes.
22. But you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23. You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels of his house have been brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see or hear or know anything. But the God who holds your breath in his hand and to whom all your ways belong, you have not honored.
24. So he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
25. This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
26. This is the interpretation of the words: Mene: God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.
27. Tekel: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
28. Peres: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
29. Then at Belshazzar’s command they clothed Daniel in purple, put a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed that he would rule as third in the kingdom.
30. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed,
31. and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, at about sixty-two years of age.

## Nearby chapters

[Daniel 4](https://www.lumin.faith/read/daniel/4.md)
[Daniel 6](https://www.lumin.faith/read/daniel/6.md)

Ask: https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md
Bible Coach: https://www.lumin.faith/bible-coach.md