Daniel 5:21 nasb — "He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the…

NASB

""He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes."

— Daniel 5:21, NASB

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Daniel 5:21 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.”

  • ASV

    “and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts’, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will. ”

  • WEB

    “and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.”

  • NET

    “He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.”

  • DRB

    “And he was driven out from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses, and he did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till he knew that the most High ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he will set over it whomsoever it shall please him.”

  • BBE

    “And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.”

  • KJVA

    “And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.”

Daniel 5 — Context

18

"O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.

19

"Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.

20

"But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

21

"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

22

"Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,

23

but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.

24

"Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.

Daniel 5:21 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Daniel 5:21 say?
Daniel 5:21 in the NASB reads: “"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.”
Where is Daniel 5:21 in the Bible?
Daniel 5:21 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Daniel, chapter 5, verse 21.
Who wrote Daniel?
Daniel is traditionally attributed to Daniel (traditional). Conservative scholarship dates Daniel to the 6th century BC; critical scholarship often proposes a 2nd-century-BC date for the apocalyptic portions. It was written c. 605–530 BC.
What is the book of Daniel about?
Daniel is a young exile in Babylon who, with his three friends, refuses to bow to the world's gods. The book combines courageous narratives — the fiery furnace, the lions' den — with sweeping prophetic visions of the kingdoms of earth giving way to the everlasting kingdom of the Son of Man.
What are the major themes of Daniel?
Daniel explores themes including Sovereignty, Faithfulness, Prophecy, Kingdoms, Son of Man. These themes shape the meaning and context of Daniel 5:21.
What translation should I read Daniel 5:21 in?
Daniel 5:21 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Daniel 5:21?
Daniel 5:21 reads (NASB): “"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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