4:1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly!
4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.
4:5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.
4:6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
4:7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
4:8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
4:9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.
4:10 These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.
4:11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.
4:12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
4:13 “In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
4:14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
4:15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.
4:16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
4:17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.’
4:18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
4:19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!
4:20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth,
4:21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air–
4:22 you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
4:23 “You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
4:24 “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
4:25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.
4:26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
4:27 Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
4:28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
4:29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
4:30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
4:31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.
4:32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
4:33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
4:34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
4:35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”
4:36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.
4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the whole earth: May your peace abound!
4:2 It pleases me to declare the signs and wonders that God the Most High has done for me.
4:3 How great are His signs, / And how mighty are His wonders! / His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, / And His dominion is from generation to generation.
4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and was flourishing in my palace.
4:5 I saw a dream and it frightened me, and the imaginings upon my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.
4:6 Therefore I made the decree to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon that they might make the interpretation of the dream known to me.
4:7 Then the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans, and diviners came in, and I told the dream to them; but they could not make its interpretation known to me.
4:8 But at last there came in before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I told the dream to him, saying,
4:9 O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery troubles you, here are the visions of my dream that I have seen; now tell me its interpretation.
4:10 Now these were the visions of my head upon my bed: I was watching and there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
4:11 The tree grew great and became strong, / And its height reached to heaven, / And the sight of it to the end of all the earth.
4:12 Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, / And in it was food for all. / The beasts of the field found shade under it, / And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches; / And all flesh fed from it.
4:13 I was watching in the visions of my head upon my bed, and there was a watcher, indeed, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
4:14 He cried out loudly and spoke in this way, / Cut down the tree and cut off its branches; / Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; / Let the beasts flee from under it, / And the birds from its branches.
4:15 Yet leave its stump of roots / In the earth, / But with an iron and bronze band around it, / In the tender grass of the field; / And let him be wet with the dew of heaven, / And let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth;
4:16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man’s, / And let a beast’s mind be given to him; / And let seven periods of time pass over him.
4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men.
4:18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, inasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the interpretation known to me; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.
4:19 Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies!
4:20 The tree that you saw, which grew great and became strong, and whose height reached to heaven and the sight of it to all the earth,
4:21 And whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, and under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged ?
4:22 It is you, O king, who have grown great and become strong, for your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
4:23 And in that the king saw a watcher, indeed, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, Cut down the tree and destroy it; yet leave its stump of roots in the earth, but with an iron and bronze band around it, in the tender grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him;
4:24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
4:25 You shall be driven out from among mankind, and with the beasts of the field shall your dwelling place be; and you shall be made to eat grass as bulls do and shall be wet with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you come to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills.
4:26 And in that it was commanded that the stump of roots of the tree be left, your kingdom will be assured to you after you have come to know that the heavens do rule.
4:27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: Break off your sins by doing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; perhaps there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.
4:28 All this came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king.
4:29 At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.
4:30 The king responded and said, Is this not Babylon the great, which I have built up as a royal house by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
4:31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven: To you it is spoken, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has passed on from you;
4:32 And from among mankind you shall be driven out, and with the beasts of the field shall your dwelling place be; you shall be made to eat grass as bulls do; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you come to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills.
4:33 In that very hour the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and from among mankind he was driven out, and he began to eat grass as bulls do, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
4:34 And at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored the ever-living One; For His dominion is an eternal dominion, / And His kingdom is from generation to generation;
4:35 And all the inhabitants of earth are considered as nothing, / But He does according to His will in the army of heaven / And among the inhabitants of the earth; / And there is no one who can resist His hand / Or say to Him, What are You doing?
4:36 At that time my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me; and my counselors and my lords sought me out, and I was established in my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of the heavens, because all His works are truth and His ways justice, and because He is able to abase those who walk in pride.