The Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel 5

1 e King Belshazzar f made a great feast for a thousand of his g lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 e Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that h the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father 1 had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in h the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and i praised the j gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 k Immediately l the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw m the hand as it wrote. 6 n Then the king's color changed, o and his thoughts alarmed him; p his limbs gave way, and q his knees knocked together. 7 r The king called loudly to bring in r the enchanters, the s Chaldeans, and t the astrologers. The king declared 2 to the wise men of Babylon, u "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and v shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but w they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly x alarmed, and his n color changed, and his y lords were perplexed.

10 The queen, 3 because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, z "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you a or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom b in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. 4 In the days of your father, c light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father - your father the king - d made him chief of the magicians, r enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 e because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and f understanding f to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and g solve problems were found in this Daniel, h whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

  1. Cross References
    Daniel 5:22
    And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.
    Daniel 5:29 - 30
    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 7:1
    In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
    Daniel 8:1
    In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first.
  2. Cross References
    Esther 1:3
    In the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him.
  3. Cross References
    Daniel 4:36
    At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.
    Daniel 6:17
    And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
  4. Cross References
    Daniel 5:1
    King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
  5. Cross References
    Daniel 5:23
    But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
    Daniel 1:2
    And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
  6. Cross References
    Daniel 5:2
    Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
  7. Cross References
    Daniel 5:23
    But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
    Judges 16:24
    And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, "Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.
  8. Cross References
    Daniel 5:23
    But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
    Revelation 9:20
    The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
    Psalms 115:4 - 7
    Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
  9. Cross References
    Daniel 4:31
    While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you.
  10. Cross References
    Ezekiel 8:3
    He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
  11. Cross References
    Daniel 5:24
    Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
  12. Cross References
    Daniel 5:10
    The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.
    Daniel 7:28
    "Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart."
  13. Cross References
    Daniel 4:5
    I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
    Daniel 4:19
    Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!
    Daniel 7:28
    "Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, and my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart."
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 69:23
    Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.
    Isaiah 45:1
    Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
  15. Cross References
    Nahum 2:10
    Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!
  16. Cross References
    Daniel 2:2
    Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
    Daniel 4:6
    So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
  17. Cross References
    Daniel 2:2
    Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
    Daniel 4:6
    So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
  18. Cross References
    Daniel 1:4
    Youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
  19. Cross References
    Daniel 2:27
    Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked.
  20. Cross References
    Daniel 5:16
    But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. 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.
    Daniel 5:29
    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
    Daniel 2:6
    But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.
  21. Cross References
    Daniel 5:16
    But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. 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.
    Daniel 5:29
    Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
  22. Cross References
    Daniel 5:15
    Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.
    Daniel 4:7
    Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
    Daniel 4:18
    This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because 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 gods is in you.
    Daniel 2:27
    Daniel answered the king and said, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked.
    Genesis 41:8
    So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
  23. Cross References
    Daniel 2:1
    In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
  24. Cross References
    Daniel 5:6
    Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
  25. Cross References
    Daniel 5:1
    King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
  26. Cross References
    Daniel 2:4
    Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.
  27. Cross References
    Daniel 5:6
    Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
    Daniel 5:9
    Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.
  28. Cross References
    Daniel 4:8
    At last Daniel came in before me - he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods - and I told him the dream, saying.
  29. Cross References
    Daniel 1:20
    And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
  30. Cross References
    Daniel 4:9
    O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.
    Daniel 2:48
    Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
  31. Cross References
    Daniel 5:7
    The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
  32. Cross References
    Daniel 6:3
    Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
  33. Cross References
    Daniel 1:17
    As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
  34. Cross References
    Daniel 1:17
    As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
  35. Cross References
    Daniel 5:16
    But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. 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.
  36. Cross References
    Daniel 1:7
    And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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