Curated semantic-search results from the Bible and early Jewish and Christian writings.
These passages are drawn from a current, full-corpus deep search.
Top matching passages
5/10 · good
1 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. 5 At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing, 6 his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him. 9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified…
5/10 · good
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. (WEB) 2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. (WEB) 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. (WEB) 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (WEB) 5 In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. (WEB) 6 Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another. (WEB) 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” (WEB) 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing and couldn’t make kn… (WEB)
3/10 · fair
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. 15 Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation. 16 But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 17 In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him. 18 As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. 19 Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was dri…
3/10 · fair
25 Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26 And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
3/10 · fair
22 “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, (WEB) 23 but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and 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. You have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways. (WEB) 24 Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed. (WEB) 25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’ (WEB) 26 “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end. (WEB) 27 TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting. (WEB) 28 PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” (WEB) 29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and proclaimed that he should be the third highest ruler in the kingdom. (WEB) 30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. (WEB)
2/10 · weak
14 I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. (WEB) 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. (WEB) 16 But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. 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.” (WEB) 17 Then Daniel answered the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. (WEB)
2/10 · weak
13 Now when the king woke up, they took the writing and gave it to him, so he read it. (WEB) 14 Sending out, he called all the princes of Persia and of Media, the local governors, the captains, the governors, and the chief officers (WEB) 15 and sat himself down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writing was read before them. (WEB) 16 He said, “Call the young men, and they shall explain their own sentences. So they were called and came in. (WEB) 17 They said to them, “Explain what you have written.” Then the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine, began (WEB)
2/10 · weak
8 Then they each wrote his sentence, sealed them, and laid them under King Darius’ pillow, (WEB) 9 and said, “When the king wakes up, someone will give him the writing. Whoever the king and the three princes of Persia judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as it is written.” (WEB)
3/10 · fair
28 And thus it was manifested that it should be, and it is written on the heavenly tablets: wherefore it was revealed to him that he should celebrate it, and add it to the seven days of the feast. (JUB)
2/10 · weak
10 Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, 11 tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth. 12 Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ 13 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: In My wrath I will release a windstorm, and in My anger torrents of rain and hail will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you whitewashed and level it to the ground, so that its foundation is exposed. The city will fall, and you will be destroyed within it. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 15 And after I have vented My wrath against the wall and against those who whitewashed it, I will say to you: ‘The wall is gone, and so are those who whitewashed it—