The Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel 5

1 Belshazzar the king a made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels b which his 1 father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold c 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. 4 They drank wine, d and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

5 e In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his f knees knocked against each other. 7 g The king cried 2 aloud to bring in h 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; i and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8 Now all the king's wise men came, j but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly k troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were 3 astonished.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 l "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your 4 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. 12 "Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and 5 explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, m whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."

  1. Cross References
    Esther 1:3
    That in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants - the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him -
    Isaiah 22:12 - 14
    And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:13
    And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and he cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
    2 Kings 25:15
    The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.
    Ezra 1:7 - 11
    King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods.
    Jeremiah 52:19
    The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.
    Daniel 1:2
    And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 36:10
    At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 42:8
    I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
    Daniel 5:23
    And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of 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, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
    Revelation 9:20
    But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
  5. Cross References
    Daniel 4:31
    While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 7:17
    Every hand will be feeble, And every knee will be as weak as water.
    Ezekiel 21:7
    "And it shall be when they say to you, 'Why are you sighing?' that you shall answer, 'Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,' says the Lord GOD."
  7. Cross References
    Daniel 4:6
    Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
    Daniel 4:7
    Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
    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 5:15
    Now 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.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 47:13
    You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you.
  9. Cross References
    Daniel 6:2
    And over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.
    Daniel 6:3
    Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 41:8
    Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
    Daniel 2:27
    Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.
    Daniel 4:7
    Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
    Daniel 5:15
    Now 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.
  11. Cross References
    Job 18:11
    Terrors frighten him on every side, And drive him to his feet.
    Isaiah 21:2 - 4
    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.
    Jeremiah 6:24
    We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor.
    Daniel 2:1
    Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.
    Daniel 5:6
    Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
  12. Cross References
    Daniel 2:48
    Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
    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."
  13. Cross References
    Daniel 1:7
    To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, AbedNego'.
    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:
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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