Daniel 5:1

King Belshazzar ¹  prepared a great banquet ²  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of ³  them all. ⁴ 

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.

Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

A number of years later, King Belshazzar gave a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.

King Belshazzar held a great feast for his one thousand nobles. The wine flowed freely.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.

King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

King Belshazzar ¹  prepared a great banquet ²  for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of ³  them all. ⁴ 

¹ sn As is clear from the extra-biblical records, it was actually Nabonidus (ca. 556-539 B.C.) who was king of Babylon at this time. However, Nabonidus spent long periods of time at Teima, and during those times Belshazzar his son was de facto king of Babylon. This arrangement may help to explain why later in this chapter Belshazzar promises that the successful interpreter of the handwriting on the wall will be made third ruler in the kingdom. If Belshazzar was in effect second ruler in the kingdom, this would be the highest honor he could grant.

² sn This scene of a Babylonian banquet calls to mind a similar grandiose event recorded in Esth 1:3-8. Persian kings were also renowned in the ancient Near Eastern world for their lavish banquets.

³ sn The king probably sat at an elevated head table.

⁴ tn Aram “the thousand.”