Daniel 5:23
21 He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22 But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
24 Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
- KJV
- But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
- WEB
- but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and 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. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.
- ASV
- but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
- DARBY
- but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
- BLB
- and against the Lord of heaven you have lifted yourself up. And the vessels of His house they have brought before you, and you, and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines, have been drinking wine from them. And to the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see, and do not hear, and do not have knowledge, you have given praise. And to the God in whose hand [is] your breath, and all your ways [are] to Him, you have not shown honor!
- ÅB
- du har opphøyet deg mot himmelens herre, og du har latt hente karene som var tatt fra hans hus, og du og dine stormenn, dine hustruer og dine medhustruer har drukket vin av dem, og du har prist dine guder av sølv og gull, av kobber, jern, tre og stein, som ikke ser og ikke hører og ikke har forstand; men den Gud i hvis hånd din livsånde er, og som råder over alle dine veier, har du ikke æret.
- OTB
- I stedet har du satt deg opp mot himmelens Herre. Du fikk karene fra Hans tempel hentet til deg, og du og dine stormenn, dine hustruer og dine medhustruer drakk vin av dem. Du priste gudene av sølv og gull, av bronse, jern, tre og stein, som verken kan se eller høre eller forstå. Men du æret ikke Gud, som har ditt liv og alle dine veier i sin hånd.
- B1930
- du har ophøiet dig mot himmelens herre, og du har latt hente karene som var tatt fra hans hus, og du og dine stormenn, dine hustruer og dine medhustruer har drukket vin av dem, og du har prist dine guder av sølv og gull, av kobber, jern, tre og sten, som ikke ser og ikke hører og ikke har forstand; men den Gud i hvis hånd din livsånde er, og som råder over alle dine veier, har du ikke æret.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Job 12:10
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
Read in contextDaniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
Read in contextJeremiah 10:23
I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.
Read in contextIsaiah 37:23
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!
Read in contextIsaiah 2:12
For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted— it will be humbled—
Read in contextProverbs 20:24
A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?
Read in contextJob 31:4
Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
Read in contextPsalms 115:4–8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Read in context