Daniel 5:9

Easy-to-Read Version

King Belshazzar's officials were confused, and the king became even more afraid and worried. His face was white from fear.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered.

Hebrew Names Version
Then was king Belshatztzar greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

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

English Standard Version
Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

New American Standard Bible
Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.

New Century Version
King Belshazzar became even more afraid, and his face became even whiter. His royal guests were confused.

Amplified Bible
Then King Belshazzar was greatly perplexed, his face became even paler, and his nobles were bewildered and alarmed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his princes were astonied.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.

Berean Standard Bible
Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.

Contemporary English Version
and they were completely puzzled. Now the king was more afraid than ever before, and his face turned white as a ghost.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then King Belshatzar became terrified; his face turned pale, and his lords were thrown into confusion.

Darby Translation
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his nobles were confounded.

George Lamsa Translation
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and his countenance changed and his princes were bewildered.

Good News Translation
In his distress King Belshazzar grew even paler, and his noblemen had no idea what to do.

Lexham English Bible
Then the king, Belshazzar, became greatly terrified, and his facial features changed upon him, and his lords were perplexed.

Literal Translation
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changing on him, and his nobles were perplexed.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The was the kynge sore afrayed, in so moch, that his coloure chaunged, and his lordes were sore vexed.

American Standard Version
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

Bible in Basic English
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then was king Belshazzar greatly affrighted, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

King James Version (1611)
Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lordes were astonied.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then was king Balthasar greatly troubled, and his countenaunce was chaunged in him, and his princes were astonied.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.

English Revised Version
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

World English Bible
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wherof kyng Balthasar was disturblid ynow, and his cheer was chaungid, but also hise beste men weren disturblid.

Update Bible Version
Then king Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then was the king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished.

New English Translation
Then King Belshazzar was very terrified, and he was visibly shaken. His nobles were completely dumbfounded.

New King James Version
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

New Living Translation
So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

New Life Bible
Then King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face lost even more of its color, and his important men did not know what to do.

New Revised Standard
Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, King Belshazzar, was greatly terrified, and, his bright looks, were changed upon him, - and, his nobles, were perplexed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherewith king Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his nobles also were troubled.

Revised Standard Version
Then King Belshaz'zar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed; and his lords were perplexed.

Young's Literal Translation
then the king Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed.

Contextual Overview

¹ King Belshazzar gave a big party for 1000 of his officials. The king was drinking wine with them. ² As Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he ordered his servants to bring the gold and silver cups. His grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken these cups from the Temple in Jerusalem. King Belshazzar wanted his royal people, his wives, and his slave women to 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 officials, his wives, and his women slaves drank from them. ⁴ As they were drinking, they gave praise to their idol gods, which were only statues made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. ⁵ Suddenly, a person's hand appeared and began writing on the wall. The fingers scratched words into the plaster on the wall, near the lampstand in the king's palace. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. ⁶ King Belshazzar was very afraid. His face became white from fear, and his knees were shaking and knocking together. He could not stand up because his legs were too weak. ⁷ The king called for the men of magic and the Chaldeans to be brought to him. He said to these wise men, "I will give a reward to anyone who can read this writing and explain to me what it means. I will give him purple robes to wear and will put a gold chain around his neck. I will make him the third highest ruler in the kingdom." ⁸ So all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or understand what it meant. ⁹ King Belshazzar's officials were confused, and the king became even more afraid and worried. His face was white from fear.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

greatly: Daniel 5:6, Daniel 2:1, Job 18:11-14, Psalms 18:14, Revelation 6:15

countenance: Chal, brightness, Daniel 5:6, Daniel 10:8

changed: Psalms 48:6, Isaiah 13:6-8, Isaiah 21:2-4, Jeremiah 6:24, Jeremiah 30:6, Matthew 2:3

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalaleel. Mahalaleel was the son of Cainan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled,.... A second time, and perhaps more than before; since he had conceived some hope that his wise men would have informed him what this writing was, and the meaning of it; but finding that they were nonplussed by it, it gave him still greater uneasiness:

and his countenance was changed in him; again; very likely, upon the coming in of the wise men, he had a little recovered himself, and became more composed and serene; which appeared in his countenance; but, upon this disappointment, his countenance changed again, and he turned pale, and looked ghastly:

and his lords were astonished; were in the utmost consternation and confusion, when they understood that the writing could neither be read nor interpreted; neither the dignity of their station, nor their numbers, nor their liquor, could keep up their spirits; so that the king had not one with him, to speak a comfortable word to him, or give him any advice in this his time of distress; they were all in the same condition with himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled - Not doubting that this was a Divine intimation of some fearful event, and yet unable to understand its meaning. We are quite as likely to be troubled by what is merely “mysterious” in regard to the future - by anything that gives us some undefined foreboding - as we are by what is really formidable when we know what it is. In the latter case, we know the worst; we can make some preparation for it; we can feel assured that when that is past, all is past that we fear - but who can guard himself, or prepare himself, when what is dreaded is undefined as well as awful; when we know not how to meet it, or how long it may endure, or how terrific and wide may be the sweep of its desolation?

And his countenance was changed in him - Margin, “brightnesses.” See the note at Daniel 5:6.

And his lords were astonied - Amazed. The Chaldee word means to perplex, disturb, trouble. They were doubtless as much perplexed and troubled as the king himself.