Daniel 5:1-4

Expanded Bible

The Writing on the Wall

5 King Belshazzar [^Calong with his father, Nabonidus, the last ruler of Babylon] ·gave a big banquet [^Lserved a large meal] for a thousand ·royal [noble; important] guests and drank wine with ·them [^Lthe thousand]. ² As Belshazzar ·was drinking his wine [^Ltasted the wine; ^Che was under the influence of the wine], he gave orders to bring the gold and silver cups that his ·ancestor Nebuchadnezzar [^Lfather; predecessor; ^Cnot his literal father; v. 1] had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem [1:2]. This was so the king, his ·royal [noble; important] guests, his wives, and his ·slave women [^Lconcubines; ^Csecondary wives] could drink from those cups. ³ So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his ·royal [noble; important] guests, his wives, and his ·slave women [^Lconcubines; v. 2] drank from them. ⁴ As they were drinking, they praised their gods, which were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.