Daniel 4

1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this decree to all peoples, nations, and languages who lived on the earth: May your peace increase.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.

2 It has seemed good to me to tell you about the signs and wonders that the Most High has done for me.

It has seemed good to me to make clear the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done with me.

3 How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.”

How great are his signs! and how full of power are his wonders! his kingdom is an eternal kingdom and his rule goes on from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living happily in my house, and I was enjoying prosperity in my palace.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my place, and all things were going well for me in my great house:

5 But a dream I had made me afraid. As I lay there, the images I saw and the visions in my mind troubled me.

I saw a dream which was a cause of great fear to me; I was troubled by the images of my mind on my bed, and by the visions of my head.

6 So I gave a decree to bring before me all the men of Babylon who had wisdom so they could interpret the dream for me.

And I gave orders for all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make clear to me the sense of my dream.

7 Then came the magicians, those who claimed to speak with the dead, the wise men, and the astrologers. I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.

Then the wonder-workers, the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs came in to me: and I put the dream before them but they did not make clear the sense of it to me.

8 But at last Daniel came in—the one who is named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream.

But at last Daniel came in before me, he whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I put the dream before him, saying,

9 “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you. Tell me what I saw in my dream and what it means.

O Belteshazzar, master of the wonder-workers, because I am certain that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and you are troubled by no secret; this is the dream which I saw: make clear to me its sense.

10 These were the sights that I saw in my mind as I lay upon my bed: I looked, and there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was very great.

On my bed I saw a vision: there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and it was very high.

11 The tree grew and became strong. Its top reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the whole earth.

And the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen from the ends of the earth:

12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and on it was food for all. The wild animals found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches. All living creatures were fed from it.

Its leaves were fair and it had much fruit, and in it was food enough for all: the beasts of the field had shade under it, and the birds of heaven were resting in its branches, and it gave food to all living things.

13 I saw in my mind as I lay on my bed, and a holy messenger came down from the heavens.

In the visions of my head on my bed I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven,

14 He shouted and said, 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds fly away from its branches.

Crying out with a loud voice; and this is what he said: Let the tree be cut down and its branches broken off; let its leaves be taken off and its fruit sent in every direction: let the beasts get away from under it and the birds from its branches:

15 Leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the middle of the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew from the heavens. Let it live with the animals among the plants on the ground.

But keep its broken end and its roots still in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass; let him have the young grass of the field for food, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his part be with the beasts.

16 Let his mind be changed from a man's mind, and let an animal's mind be given to him until seven years pass by.

Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and the heart of a beast be given to him; and let seven times go by him.

17 This decision is by the decree reported by the messenger. It is a decision made by the holy ones so that those who are alive may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of people and gives them to anyone he wishes to place over them, even to the most humble men.'

This order is fixed by the watchers, and the decision is by the word of the holy ones: so that the living may be certain that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure, lifting up over it the lowest of men.

18 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the men with wisdom in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able to do so, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; and do you, O Belteshazzar, make clear the sense of it, for all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the sense of it clear to me; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

19 Then Daniel, who was also named Belteshazzar, was greatly upset for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar replied, “My master, may the dream be for those who hate you; may its interpretation be for your enemies.

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was at a loss for a time, his thoughts troubling him. The king made answer and said, Belteshazzar, do not be troubled by the dream or by the sense of it. Belteshazzar, answering, said, My lord, may the dream be about your haters, and its sense about those who are against you.

20 The tree that you saw—which grew and became strong, and whose top reached up to the heavens, and which could be seen to the ends of the whole earth—

The tree which you saw, which became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven and seen from the ends of the earth;

21 whose leaves were beautiful, and whose fruit was abundant, so that in it was food for all, and under it the animals of the field found shade, and in which the birds of the heavens lived—

Which had fair leaves and much fruit, and had in it food for all; under which the beasts of the field were living, and in the branches of which the birds of heaven had their resting-places:

22 this tree is you, king, you who have grown so strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your authority reaches to the ends of the earth.

It is you, O King, who have become great and strong: for your power is increased and stretching up to heaven, and your rule to the end of the earth.

23 You, king, saw a holy messenger coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the middle of the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew from the heavens. Let it live with the wild animals in the fields until seven years pass by.'

And as for the vision which the king saw of a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, saying, Let the tree be cut down and given to destruction;

24 This is the interpretation, king. It is a decree of the Most High that has reached you, my master the king.

This is the sense of it, O King, and it is the decision of the Most High which has come on my lord the king:

25 You will be driven from among men, and you will live with the wild animals in the fields. You will be made to eat grass like an ox, and you will be wet with the dew from the heavens, and seven years will pass by until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of people and that he gives them to anyone he wishes.

That they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.

26 As it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, in this way your kingdom will be returned to you from the time you learn that heaven rules.

And as they gave orders to let the broken end and the roots of the tree be, so your kingdom will be safe for you after it is clear to you that the heavens are ruling.

27 Therefore, king, let my advice be acceptable to you. Stop sinning and do what is right. Turn away from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, and it may be that your prosperity will be extended.”

For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.

28 All these things happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

All this came to King Nebuchadnezzar.

29 Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon,

At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of his great house in Babylon.

30 and he said, “Is this not the great Babylon, which I have built for my royal residence, for the glory of my majesty?”

The king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?

31 While the words were still on the lips of the king, a voice came from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, it is announced to you that this kingdom has been taken away from you.

While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: The kingdom has gone from you:

32 You will be driven away from people, and your home will be with the wild animals in the fields. You will be made to eat grass like an ox. Seven years will pass until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of people and he gives them to anyone he wishes.”

And they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.

33 This decree against Nebuchadnezzar was carried out immediately. He was driven away from people. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew from the heavens. His hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails became like birds' claws.

That very hour the order about Nebuchadnezzar was put into effect: and he was sent out from among men, and had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair became long as eagles' feathers and his nails like those of birds.

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was given back to me. “I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified the one who lives forever. For his reign is an everlasting reign, and his kingdom endures from all generations to all generations.

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifting up my eyes to heaven, got back my reason, and, blessing the Most High, I gave praise and honour to him who is living for ever, whose rule is an eternal rule and whose kingdom goes on from generation to generation.

35 All the earth's inhabitants are considered by him to be as nothing; he does among the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth whatever suits his will. No one can stop him or challenge him. No one can say to him, 'Why have you done this?'”

And all the people of the earth are as nothing: he does his pleasure in the army of heaven and among the people of the earth: and no one is able to keep back his hand, or say to him, What are you doing?

36 At the same time that my sanity returned to me, my majesty and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and my noblemen sought my favor. I was brought back to my throne, and even more greatness was given to me.

At the same time my reason came back to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my great name came back to me; and my wise men and my lords were turned to me again; and I was made safe in my kingdom and had more power than before.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol, and honor the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right, and his ways are just. He can humble those who walk in their own pride.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give worship and praise and honour to the King of heaven; for all his works are true and his ways are right: and those who go in pride he is able to make low.