Daniel 5, Additional Reading Psalm 102

Monday, January 05, 2026
 

Belshazzar’s Feast

5 Belshazzar the king [a]held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his [b]father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5 Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the [c]back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king’s [d]face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. 7 The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the [e]Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as [f]third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his [g]face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.

10 The queen entered the banquet [h]hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your [i]face be pale. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is [j]a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father [k]the king, appointed him chief of the [l]magicians, conjurers, [m]Chaldeans and diviners. 12 This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets Handwriting on the Wall

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the [n]exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 Now I have heard about you that [o]a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15 Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the [p]message. 16 But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the [q]third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “[r]Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 [s]O king, the Most High God granted [t]sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every [u]language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so [v]proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. 21 He was also driven away from [w]mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. 22 Yet you, his [x]son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, [y]even though you knew all this, 23 but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the [z]hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

25 “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘[aa]MENĒ, [ab]MENĒ, [ac]TEKĒL, [ad]UPHARSIN.’ 26 This is the interpretation of the [ae]message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. 27 ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and [af]Persians.”

29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the [ag]third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. 31 [ah]So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 5:1 Lit made
  2. Daniel 5:2 Or forefather, and so throughout the ch
  3. Daniel 5:5 Or palm
  4. Daniel 5:6 Lit brightness changed for him
  5. Daniel 5:7 Or master astrologers
  6. Daniel 5:7 Or a triumvir
  7. Daniel 5:9 Lit brightness was changing upon him
  8. Daniel 5:10 Lit house
  9. Daniel 5:10 Lit brightness be changed
  10. Daniel 5:11 Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God
  11. Daniel 5:11 Or O king
  12. Daniel 5:11 Or soothsayer priests
  13. Daniel 5:11 Or master astrologers
  14. Daniel 5:13 Lit sons of the exile
  15. Daniel 5:14 Or possibly the Spirit of God
  16. Daniel 5:15 Lit word
  17. Daniel 5:16 Or triumvir
  18. Daniel 5:17 Lit Let...be for
  19. Daniel 5:18 Lit You, O king
  20. Daniel 5:18 Or the kingdom
  21. Daniel 5:19 Lit tongue
  22. Daniel 5:20 Lit strong
  23. Daniel 5:21 Lit the sons of man
  24. Daniel 5:22 Or descendant
  25. Daniel 5:22 Lit inasmuch as you
  26. Daniel 5:24 Lit palm of the hand
  27. Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to number”
  28. Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to number”
  29. Daniel 5:25 Or a shekel from verb “to weigh”
  30. Daniel 5:25 Or and half-shekels (sing: peres) from verb “to divide”
  31. Daniel 5:26 Lit word
  32. Daniel 5:28 Aram: Pāras
  33. Daniel 5:29 Or triumvir
  34. Daniel 5:31 Ch 6:1 in Aram
 
 

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.

A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and [a]pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
And let my cry for help come to You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call answer me quickly.
3 For my days have been [b]consumed in smoke,
And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.
4 My heart has been smitten like [c]grass and has withered away,
Indeed, I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the [d]loudness of my groaning
My bones [e]cling to my flesh.
6 I [f]resemble a pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the waste places.
7 I lie awake,
I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

8 My enemies have reproached me all day long;
Those who [g]deride me [h]have used my name as a curse.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread
And mingled my drink with weeping
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a [i]lengthened shadow,
And [j]I wither away like [k]grass.

12 But You, O Lord, [l]abide forever,
And Your [m]name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants [n]find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
15 [o]So the [p]nations will fear the name of the Lord
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the Lord has built up Zion;
He has appeared in His glory.
17 He has regarded the prayer of the [q]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.

18 [r]This will be written for the generation to come,
[s]That a people yet to be created [t]may praise [u]the Lord.
19 For He looked down from His holy height;
From heaven the Lord gazed [v]upon the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To set free [w]those who were doomed to death,
21 That men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 He has weakened my strength in the way;
He has shortened my days.
24 I say, “O my God, do not take me away in the [x]midst of my days,
Your years are throughout all generations.
25 “Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 “[y]Even they will perish, but You endure;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
27 “But You are [z]the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 “The children of Your servants will continue,
And their [aa]descendants will be established before You.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 102:1 Ps 142:2
  2. Psalm 102:3 Or finished
  3. Psalm 102:4 Lit herbage
  4. Psalm 102:5 Lit voice
  5. Psalm 102:5 Lit have cleaved
  6. Psalm 102:6 Lit have become similar to
  7. Psalm 102:8 Or made a fool of
  8. Psalm 102:8 Lit have sworn by me
  9. Psalm 102:11 Lit stretched out
  10. Psalm 102:11 Or as for me, I
  11. Psalm 102:11 Lit herbage
  12. Psalm 102:12 Or sit enthroned
  13. Psalm 102:12 Lit memorial
  14. Psalm 102:14 Or have found
  15. Psalm 102:15 Or And
  16. Psalm 102:15 Or Gentiles, heathen
  17. Psalm 102:17 Or naked
  18. Psalm 102:18 Or Let this be written
  19. Psalm 102:18 Or And
  20. Psalm 102:18 Or will
  21. Psalm 102:18 Heb Yah
  22. Psalm 102:19 Lit toward
  23. Psalm 102:20 Lit the sons of death
  24. Psalm 102:24 Lit half
  25. Psalm 102:26 Lit They themselves
  26. Psalm 102:27 Lit He
  27. Psalm 102:28 Lit seed

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