4:1 ①Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and populations of all ②languages who live in all the earth: “May your ③peace be great!
▷ ①Ch 3:31 in Aram ②Lit tongues ③Or welfare; or prosperity
4:2 I am pleased to declare the signs and miracles that the Most High God has done for me.
4:3 How great are His signs
And how mighty are His miracles!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
4:4 “ ①I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and happy in my palace.
▷ ①Ch 4:1 in Aram
4:5 I saw a dream and it startled me; and these appearances as I lay on my bed and the visions ①in my mind kept alarming me.
▷ ①Lit of my head
4:6 So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, so that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
4:7 Then the soothsayer priests, the sorcerers, the ①Chaldeans, and the diviners came in and I related the dream ②to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.
▷ ①Probably master astrologers, diviners, etc. ②Lit before
4:8 But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is ①a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream ②to him, saying,
▷ ①Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God, and so throughout the ch ②Lit before
4:9 ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the soothsayer priests, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.
4:10 ‘Now these were the visions ①in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the middle of the ②earth and its height was great.
▷ ①Or land, and so throughout the ch ②Lit of my head
4:11 The tree grew large and became strong
And its height reached to the sky,
And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
4:12 Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The animals of the field ①found shade under it,
And the birds of the sky lived in its branches,
And all ②living creatures fed from it.
▷ ①Or dwelt under it ②Lit flesh
4:13 ‘I was looking in the visions ①in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.
▷ ①Lit of my head
4:14 He shouted out and spoke as follows:
“Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the animals flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
4:15 Yet leave the stump ①with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let ②him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.
▷ ①Lit of ②Lit his share be with
4:16 Let his ①mind change from that of a human
And let an animal’s ②mind be given to him,
And let seven ③periods of time pass over him.
▷ ①Lit heart ②Lit heart ③I.e., years
4:17 This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And He grants it to whomever He wishes
And sets over it the lowliest of people.”
4:18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, since none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, because 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 replied, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries!
4:20 The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth,
4:21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the animals of the field lived and in whose branches the birds of the sky settled—
4:22 it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your ①majesty has become great and reached to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
▷ ①Lit greatness
4:23 And in that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump ①with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let ②him share with the animals of the field until seven ③periods of time pass over him,”
▷ ①Lit of ②Lit his share be with ③I.e., years
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 that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the animals of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven ①periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.
▷ ①I.e., years
4:26 And in that it was commanded to leave the stump ①with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will ②remain as yours after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.
▷ ①Lit of ②Lit be enduring to you
4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: wipe away your sin by doing righteousness, and your wrongdoings by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’
4:28 “All of this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king.
4:29 Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon.
4:30 The king began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal ①residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’
▷ ①Lit house
4:31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice ①came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: ②sovereignty has been removed from you,
▷ ①Lit fell ②Or kingdom
4:32 and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven ①periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’
▷ ①I.e., years
4:33 Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
4:34 “But at the end of ①that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my ②reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
▷ ①Lit the days ②Lit understanding
4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account,
But He does according to His will among the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can ①fend off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
▷ ①Lit strike against
4:36 At that time my ①reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were ②restored to me for the honor of my kingdom, and my state counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my ③sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
▷ ①Lit understanding ②Lit returning ③Or kingdom
4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are ①true and His ways ②just; and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
▷ ①Lit truth ②Lit justice