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Daniel 5:7

Babylon

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister 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 was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
KJV
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
WEB
The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said 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 about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
ASV
The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
DARBY
The king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
BLB
The king called out with strength to bring in the enchanters, the astrologers, and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon that, “Any man who can read this writing and show to me its interpretation, with purple he shall be clothed, and a chain of gold [shall be] around his neck, and [as] the third in the kingdom he shall rule!”
ÅB
Og kongen ropte med høy røst at de skulle hente åndemanerne, kaldeerne og sannsigerne. Så tok han da til orde og sa til Babels vismenn: Den mann som leser denne skrift og kunngjør meg dens uttydning, han skal klæs i purpur og få en gullkjede om sin hals, og i makt skal han være den tredje i riket.
OTB
Kongen ropte ut at man skulle hente inn åndemanerne, kaldeerne og spåmennene. Han erklærte for de vise menn i Babylon: "Den som leser denne skriften og forklarer dens mening, skal bli kledd i purpur, få en gullkjede om halsen og bli den tredje høyeste herskeren i riket."
B1930
Og kongen ropte med høi røst at de skulde hente åndemanerne, kaldeerne og sannsigerne. Så tok han da til orde og sa til Babels vismenn: Den mann som leser denne skrift og kunngjør mig dens uttydning, han skal klæs i purpur og få en gullkjede om sin hals, og i makt skal han være den tredje i riket.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Daniel 5:16

    And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

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  • Daniel 5:29

    Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

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  • Daniel 2:48

    Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

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  • Genesis 41:42–44

    And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

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  • Daniel 2:6

    But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

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  • Daniel 6:2–3

    And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

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  • Ezekiel 16:11

    I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

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  • Daniel 2:2

    Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

    Read in context