nkjv Daniel:5:2-30 SEEK
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While he tasted the wine ,
Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his 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 .
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Then they brought the gold 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 .
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They drank wine ,
and praised the gods of gold and silver ,
bronze and iron ,
wood and stone .
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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 .
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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 .
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The king cried aloud to bring in 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 ;
and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom ."
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Now all the king '
s wise men came ,
but they could not read the writing ,
or make known to the king its interpretation .
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Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled ,
his countenance was changed ,
and his lords were astonished .
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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 .
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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 .
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Inasmuch as an excellent spirit ,
knowledge ,
understanding ,
interpreting dreams ,
solving riddles ,
and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel ,
whom the king named Belteshazzar ,
now let Daniel be called ,
and he will give the interpretation ."
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Then Daniel was brought in before the king .
The king spoke ,
and said to Daniel , "
Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah ,
whom my father the king brought from Judah ?
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I have heard of you ,
that the Spirit of God is in you ,
and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you .
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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 .
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And I have heard of you ,
that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas .
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 ."
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Then Daniel answered ,
and said before the king , "
Let your gifts be for yourself ,
and give your rewards to another ;
yet I will read the writing to the king ,
and make known to him the interpretation .
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O king ,
the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty ,
glory and honor .
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And because of the majesty that He gave him ,
all peoples ,
nations ,
and languages trembled and feared before him .
Whomever he wished ,
he executed ;
whomever he wished ,
he kept alive ;
whomever he wished ,
he set up ;
and whomever he wished ,
he put down .
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But when his heart was lifted up ,
and his spirit was hardened in pride ,
he was deposed from his kingly throne ,
and they took his glory from him .
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Then he was driven from the sons of men ,
his heart was made like the beasts ,
and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys .
They fed him with grass like oxen ,
and his body was wet with the dew of heaven ,
till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men ,
and appoints over it whomever He chooses .
* "
But you his son ,
Belshazzar ,
have not humbled your heart ,
although you knew all this .
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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 .
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Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him ,
and this writing was written .
* "
And this is the inscription that was written :
MENE ,
MENE ,
TEKEL ,
UPHARSIN .
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This is the interpretation of each word .
MENE :
God has numbered your kingdom ,
and finished it ;
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TEKEL :
You have been weighed in the balances ,
and found wanting ;
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PERES :
Your kingdom has been divided ,
and given to the Medes and Persians ."
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Then Belshazzar gave the command ,
and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck ,
and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom .
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That very night Belshazzar ,
king of the Chaldeans ,
was slain .