Daniel 4
1 Nabucodonosor rey a todos los pueblos, naciones, y lenguajes que moran en toda la tierra, paz os sea multiplicada.
[Several years after] Nebuchadnezzar [started to rule, he sent this message] to [the people of] every nation and people-group and all language groups in his empire. [He wrote, ] “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!
2 Las señales y milagros que el Alto Dios ha hecho conmigo, conviene que yo las publique.
I want you to know about [all] the wonderful miracles [DOU] that the Supreme God has performed for me.
3 ¿Cuán grandes son sus señales, y cuán fuertes sus maravillas? Su reino, reino sempiterno, y su señorío hasta generación y generación.
He performs great miracles, and does wonderful things. His kingdom will last forever; his rule [over people] will never end.
4 Yo Nabucodonosor estaba quieto en mi casa, y florido en mi palacio.
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace. I was living luxuriantly, and everything was going very well for me.
5 Ví un sueño que me espantó; y las imaginaciones y visiones de mi cabeza me turbaron en mi cama.
But one night I had a dream that caused me to be very afraid. I saw visions that terrified me as I lay on my bed.
6 Por lo cual yo puse mandamiento para hacer venir delante de mí todos los sabios de Babilonia, que me mostrasen la declaración del sueño.
So I summoned all the wise men in Babylon, in order that they would come and tell me what it meant.
7 Y vinieron magos, astrólogos, Caldeos, y adivinos, y dije el sueño delante de ellos: mas nunca me mostraron su declaración:
All the men who worked magic, the fortune-tellers, the men who worked sorcery, and men who studied the stars came to me. I told them what I had dreamed, but they could not tell me what it meant.
8 Hasta tanto que entró delante de mí Daniel, cuyo nombre es Baltasar, como el nombre de mi Dios, y en el cual hay espíritu de los dioses santos; y dije el sueño delante de él, diciendo:
Finally, Daniel came to me, and I [decided to] tell him what I had dreamed. One of my officials had given him a new name, Belteshazzar, to honor my own god. I knew that the spirit of the holy gods was in him.
9 Baltasar, príncipe de los magos, yo he entendido que hay en ti espíritu de los dioses santos, y que ningún misterio se te esconde; díme las visiones de mi sueño que he visto, y su declaración.
So, [using the name that had been given to him], I said, ‘Belteshazzar, you are the most important of all my fortune-tellers. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and that you can reveal all mysteries. There is none that is too difficult for you. So, tell me what my dream means.
10 Las visiones de mi cabeza en mi cama, eran: Parecíame que veía un árbol en medio de la tierra cuya altura era grande.
This is what I dreamed while I was lying on my bed: I saw a large tree [growing] in the middle of the land.
11 Crecía este árbol, y hacíase fuerte, y su altura llegaba hasta el cielo; y su vista hasta el cabo de toda la tierra.
The tree was very strong and had grown very tall; [it seemed that] its top reached up to the sky, with the result that everyone in the world [HYP] could see it.
12 Su copa era hermosa, y su fruto en abundancia, y para todos había en él mantenimiento. Debajo de él se ponían a la sombra las bestias del campo, y en sus ramas hacían morada las aves del cielo, y toda carne se mantenía de él.
It had beautiful leaves, and it had produced a lot of fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches. All the living creatures everywhere in the world got food from that tree.
13 Veía en las visiones de mi cabeza en mi cama, y he aquí que un velador y santo descendía del cielo;
While I was still lying on my bed, I saw another vision. In the vision I saw a holy angel coming down from heaven.
14 Y clamaba fuertemente, y decía así: Cortád el árbol, y desmochád sus ramas: derribád su copa, y derramád su fruto: váyanse las bestias que están debajo de él, y las aves de sus ramas:
The angel shouted, “Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Strip/Shake off all of its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Chase away the animals that are lying in the shade of the tree, and the birds that are in its branches.
15 Mas el tronco de sus raíces dejaréis en la tierra, y con atadura de hierro y de metal quede atado en la yerba del campo, y sea mojado con el rocío del cielo, y su vivienda sea con las bestias en la yerba de la tierra:
But leave the stump of the tree and its roots in the ground. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump, and allow it to stay there with grass around it.”
16 Su corazón sea mudado de corazón de hombre, y séale dado corazón de bestia; y pasen sobre él siete tiempos.
[That tree seems to have represented a man, because the angel also said], “Cause that man to live [out in the fields] among the animals and plants. Cause the dew from the sky to make his body damp [each morning]. Do not allow him to [continue to] have a mind like humans; instead, cause him to have a mind like animals have, for seven years.
17 Por sentencia de los veladores se acuerda el negocio, y por dicho de santos la demanda; para que conozcan los vivientes que el Altísimo se enseñorea del reino de los hombres, y a quien él quiere lo da, y constituye sobre él al más bajo de los hombres.
The holy angels have decided what must happen. They want to inform everyone that the Supreme God rules over all the kingdoms in this world. He is the one who chooses who will rule these kingdoms. He [sometimes] allows very unimportant people to become rulers.”
18 Este sueño ví yo el rey Nabucodonosor: mas tú, Baltasar, dirás la declaración de él; porque todos los sabios de mi reino nunca pudieron mostrarme su interpretación: mas tú puedes, porque hay en ti espíritu de los dioses santos.
Belteshazzar, that is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw in my dream. Now tell me what the dream means. No one else can tell me. [I asked] all the very wise men in my kingdom [to tell me] what it means, [but they were unable to do that]. But you can [tell me], because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
19 Entonces Daniel, cuyo nombre era Baltasar, estuvo callando casi una hora, y sus pensamientos le espantaban. El rey entonces habló, y dijo: Baltasar, el sueño ni su declaración no te espanten. Respondió Baltasar, y dijo: Señor mío, el sueño sea para tus enemigos, y su declaración para los que mal te quieren.
I, whose [new] name was Belteshazzar, did not say anything for some time, [because] I was very worried/disturbed [about the meaning of the dream. Finally], the king said to me, “Belteshazzar, do not be afraid about the dream and about what it means.” I replied, “Sir, I wish that the events that were predicted in your dream would happen to your enemies, [and not to you].
20 El árbol que viste, que crecía y se hacía fuerte, y que su altura llegaba hasta el cielo, y su vista por toda la tierra;
[In your dream/vision] you saw a very strong and very tall tree. It [seemed to] reach to the sky, [with the result that] everyone in the world could see it.
21 Y su copa era hermosa, y su fruto en abundancia, y que para todos había mantenimiento en él: debajo de él moraban las bestias del campo, y en sus ramas habitaban las aves del cielo:
It had beautiful leaves and it had produced a lot of fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches.
22 Tú mismo eres, o! rey, que creciste, y te hiciste fuerte; y tu grandeza creció, y ha llegado hasta el cielo, y tu señorío hasta el cabo de la tierra.
(Your majesty/O King), that tree [represents] you! You have become very powerful. [It is as though] your greatness reaches up to the sky, and you rule people all over the world.
23 Y cuanto a lo que el rey vio, un velador y santo que descendía del cielo, y decía: Cortád el árbol, destruídlo: mas el tronco de sus raíces dejaréis en la tierra, y con atadura de hierro y de metal quede atado en la yerba del campo, y sea mojado con el rocío del cielo, y su vivienda sea con las bestias del campo, hasta que pasen sobre él siete tiempos:
[Then] you saw a holy angel coming down from heaven. That angel said, ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Strip/Shake off all of its leaves, and scatter its fruit. But leave the stump of the tree and its roots in the ground. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump and [allow it to stay there] with grass around it. [Each morning] cause the dew from the sky to make this man, [who was represented by the tree], damp. Cause him to live in the fields with the animals for seven years.’
24 Esta es la declaración, o! rey, y la sentencia del Altísimo, que ha venido sobre el rey mi Señor.
(Your Majesty/O King), that is what your dream means. That is what the Supreme God has declared will happen to you.
25 Que te echarán de entre los hombres, y con las bestias del campo será tu morada, y con yerba del campo te apacentarán como a los bueyes, y con rocío del cielo serás teñido; y siete tiempos pasarán sobre ti, hasta que entiendas que el Altísimo se enseñorea del reino de los hombres, y que a quien él quisiere, lo dará.
[Your advisors] will force you to live away from other people. You will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cows do, and dew from the sky will cause your [body] to be damp/wet [every morning]. You will live that way for seven years, until you learn that it is the Supreme God who rules over the kingdoms of the world, and he appoints the ones whom he chooses [to rule them].
26 Y lo que dijeron, que dejasen en la tierra el tronco de las raíces del mismo árbol: tu reino se te quedará firme, para que entiendas que el señorío es en los cielos.
But the stump of the tree and its roots were left [in the ground]. That means that you will rule your kingdom again when you learn that it is God [MTY] who is [really] the ruler.
27 Por tanto, o! rey, aprueba mi consejo, y redime tus pecados con justicia, y tus iniquidades con misericordias de los pobres: he aquí la medicina de tu pecado.
(Your Majesty/O King), please do what I am telling you to do. Stop sinning, and do what is right. Turn away from your evil behavior. Act mercifully to poor people. If you do that, perhaps you will continue to be sucessful.”
28 Todo vino sobre el rey Nabucodonosor.
But [the king refused to stop sinning. So what was predicted in the dream is] what happened to him.
29 Al cabo de doce meses andándose paseando sobre el palacio del reino de Babilonia,
Twelve months later, [one day] he was walking [on the flat roof] of his palace in Babylon.
30 Habló el rey, y dijo: ¿No es esta la gran Babilonia, que yo edifiqué para casa del reino, con la fuerza de mi fortaleza, y para gloria de mi grandeza?
As he [looked out over/across the city], he said [to those around him], “I have built this great [city of] Babylon to be the place where I rule! I have built it to display my own power, in order [to show people] my glory, to show them that I am very great!”
31 Aun estaba la palabra en la boca del rey, cuando cae una voz del cielo: A ti dicen, rey Nabucodonosor: El reino es traspasado de ti:
While he was still saying this, God [MTY] spoke from heaven and said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is what I am saying to you: You are no longer the ruler of this kingdom!
32 Y de entre los hombres te echan, y con las bestias del campo será tu morada, y como a los bueyes te apacentarán; y siete tiempos pasaran sobre ti, hasta que conozcas que el Altísimo se enseñorea en el reino de los hombres, y a quien él quisiere lo dará.
[Your advisors] will force you to live away from [other] people. You will live in the fields with wild animals, and you will eat grass like cows do. You will live that way for seven years, until you learn that [it is] I, the Supreme God, who rules over the kingdoms of this world, and I appoint the ones whom I have chosen to rule them.”
33 En la misma hora se cumplió la palabra sobre Nabucodonosor, y fue echado de entre los hombres, y comía yerba como los bueyes, y su cuerpo se teñía con el rocío del cielo, hasta que su pelo creció como de águila, y sus uñas como de aves.
Immediately what [God] predicted happened. Nebuchadnezzar [became insane, so his advisors] forced him to live away from other people. He ate grass like cows [do], and dew from the sky caused his body to be damp/wet [every morning. He lived like that] until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers, and his fingernails became like birds’ claws.
34 Mas al fin del tiempo, yo Nabucodonosor, alcé mis ojos al cielo, y mi sentido me fue vuelto, y bendije al Altísimo, y alabé, y glorifiqué al que vive para siempre; porque su señorío es sempiterno, y su reino por todas las edades:
“After those [seven] years ended, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven, [and I acknowledged that what God said was true]. Then I could think correctly again. I praised and worshiped the Supreme God, and I honored him, the one who lives forever. He rules forever; his kingdom will never end.
35 Y todos los moradores de la tierra por nada son contados; y en el ejército del cielo, y en los moradores de la tierra hace según su voluntad, ni hay quien lo estorbe con su mano, y le diga: ¿Qué haces?
All the people in the world are very insignificant; we are not like him. He has the power to do whatever he wants to do, among the angels in heaven and among us people who live on the earth. [So] no one can stop him [SYN], and no one can [challenge him], saying to him, ‘Why [are you doing these things]?’
36 En el mismo tiempo mi sentido me fue vuelto, y torné a la majestad de mi reino: mi hermosura y mi grandeza volvió sobre mí; y mis gobernadores y mis grandes me buscaron, y fui restituido en mi reino, y mayor grandeza me fue añadida.
When I was able to think correctly again, I was honored again, and I [was able to] rule my glorious/great kingdom again. My advisors came to me again [to talk about what should be done], and I became greater and more powerful than I was before.
37 Ahora yo Nabucodonosor alabo, engrandezco, y glorifico al Rey del cielo, porque todas sus obras son verdad, y sus caminos juicio; y a los que andan con soberbia puede humillar.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and honor [DOU] [God], the king who rules in heaven. All of his actions are just and right. And he is able to cause to become humble those who are proud, [like I was].”
