Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

Daniel 5

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel 1 who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my 2 father the king brought from Judah? 14 "I have heard of you, that n the 3 Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 "Now o the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 "And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and 4 explain enigmas. p 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; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 "O king, q the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your 5 father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 "And because of the majesty that He gave him, r all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he s executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 t "But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 "Then he was u driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, v till he 6 knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. 22 "But you his son, Belshazzar, w have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 x "And you have 7 lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the y vessels of 8 His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, z which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand a and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

24 "Then the 9 fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. 25 "And this is the inscription that was written:
10 MENE, 11 MENE, 12 TEKEL, 13 14 UPHARSIN. 15 26 "This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 "TEKEL: b You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 "PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the c Medes and d Persians." 16

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

30 f That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 g And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

  1. Cross References
    Daniel 4:8
    But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
    Daniel 4:9
    Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
    Daniel 4:18
    "This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you."
    Daniel 5:11
    There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. 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 - made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
    Daniel 5:12
    "Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."
  2. Cross References
    Daniel 5:7
    The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 5:8
    Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.
  3. Cross References
    Daniel 5:7
    The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 5:29
    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
  4. Cross References
    Jeremiah 27:5 - 7
    I have made the earth, the man and the beast th...
    Daniel 2:37
    You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God o...
    Daniel 2:38
    And wherever the children of men dwell, or the ...
    Daniel 4:17
    'This decision is by the decree of the watchers...
    Daniel 4:22
    It is you, O king, who have grown and become st...
    Daniel 4:25
    They shall drive you from men, your dwelling sh...
  5. Cross References
    Jeremiah 27:7
    So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
  6. Cross References
    Daniel 2:12
    For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
    Daniel 2:13
    So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
    Daniel 3:6
    "and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 9:17
    As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.
    Job 15:25
    For he stretches out his hand against God, And acts defiantly against the Almighty.
    Isaiah 14:13 - 15
    For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north.
    Daniel 4:30
    The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?
    Daniel 4:37
    Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.
  8. Cross References
    Job 30:3 - 7
    They are gaunt from want and famine, Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste.
    Daniel 4:32
    And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
    Daniel 4:33
    That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 9:14 - 16
    For at this time I will send all My plagues to ...
    Psalms 83:17
    Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Ye...
    Psalms 83:18
    That they may know that You, whose name alone i...
    Ezekiel 17:24
    "And all the trees of the field shall know that...
    Daniel 4:17
    'This decision is by the decree of the watchers...
    Daniel 4:34
    And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, l...
    Daniel 4:35
    All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as...
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 10:3
    So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
    2 Chronicles 33:23
    And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.
    2 Chronicles 36:12
    He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
  11. Cross References
    Daniel 5:3
    Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
    Daniel 5:4
    They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 40:9
    And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy.
    Numbers 18:3
    They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die - they and you also.
    Isaiah 52:11
    Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD.
    Hebrews 9:21
    Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.
  13. Cross References
    Psalms 115:5
    They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes t...
    Psalms 115:6
    They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses the...
    Isaiah 37:19
    And have cast their gods into the fire; for the...
    Habakkuk 2:18
    What profit is the image, that its maker should...
    Habakkuk 2:19
    Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awake!' To silent...
    Acts 17:24 - 26
    God, who made the world and everything in it, s...
    Romans 1:21
    Because, although they knew God, they did not g...
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 139:3
    You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
    Proverbs 20:24
    A man's steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?
    Jeremiah 10:23
    O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
  15. Cross References
    Job 31:6
    Let me be weighed on honest scales, That God may know my integrity.
    Psalms 62:9
    Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.
    Jeremiah 6:30
    People will call them rejected silver, Because the LORD has rejected them.
  16. Cross References
    Isaiah 21:2
    A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.
    Daniel 5:31
    And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
    Daniel 9:1
    In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans -
  17. Cross References
    Daniel 6:28
    So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
    Acts 2:9
    Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia.
  18. Cross References
    Daniel 5:7
    The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 5:16
    "And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. 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."
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:31
    One runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides.
    Jeremiah 51:39
    In their excitement I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, That they may rejoice, And sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the LORD.
    Jeremiah 51:57
    And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts.
  20. Cross References
    Daniel 2:39
    But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
    Daniel 9:1
    In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans -
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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