Daniel 4

1King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and people of every language who live in all the earth: May you have abundant peace!

2It is my pleasure to tell of the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

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

4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

5I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed, the images and the visions that passed through my mind terrified me.

6So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.

8At last Daniel came in before me—he is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him—and I told him the dream:

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 the visions of my dream that I saw, and its interpretation.

10These were the visions that passed through my mind as I lay in bed: I looked, and there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was great.

11The tree grew large and strong; its top reached to the sky, and it could be seen to the ends of the whole earth.

12Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shade, in its branches the birds of the sky lived, and from it every living creature was fed.

13In the visions that passed through my mind as I lay in bed, I looked, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

14He called out loudly: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

15But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth.

16Let his mind be changed from a human mind, and let the mind of an animal be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him.

17The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of humankind, gives it to whomever he wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of people.’

18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies!

20The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and which could be seen throughout the whole earth,

21whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and on which was food for all, under which the wild animals lived, and in whose branches the birds of the sky made their home—

22it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches to the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.

23And as for the watcher, a holy one, whom the king saw coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass over him’—

24this is the interpretation, O king: it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king.

25You will be driven away from people, and your dwelling will be with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like cattle and drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of humankind and gives it to whomever he wishes.

26And since they commanded that the stump of the tree with its roots be left, your kingdom will be secure for you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

27Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you: break off your sins by doing what is right, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps then your prosperity will continue.”

28All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

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

30the king said, “Is this not great Babylon, which I have built as a royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

31While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: the kingdom has departed from you.

32You will be driven away from people, and your dwelling will be with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of humankind and gives it to whomever he wishes.”

33At that very moment the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle, and 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.

34At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me. I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored the one who lives forever: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing; he does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with the inhabitants of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

36At that time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my nobles sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and still greater power was added to me.

37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are true and his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.