Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.
Parallel translations
- WEB The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spoke and said, O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
- KJV Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
- NKJV 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.
- NASB The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.
- NLT But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The queen (likely the queen mother) enters and urges the king not to be so troubled, for she knows of one who can help. Her counsel points the king toward Daniel.
Overview
Hearing the uproar, the queen mother comes in with composure and direction. Her memory of past events provides the link to Daniel, showing how God preserves testimony to His faithful servants even across changing reigns. Her words begin to turn the king's attention from failed wisdom toward the man through whom God speaks.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Dan 3:9saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!
- Dan 2:4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
- Dan 6:6So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!
- Job 13:4You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
- 1 Sam 4:20–22As she was dying, the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay any heed.
- Gen 35:17–18During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”
- 1 Kgs 1:31Bathsheba bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
- Dan 6:21Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!
- Job 21:34So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Daniel sees the stone cut without hands that shatters the kingdoms, and 'one like a son of man' given everlasting dominion — titles and visions Jesus claims as his own.
How Daniel 5:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.