Daniel
Chapter 4
1 King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, countries, and languages living on the earth; may you have more and more peace.
2 I thought it was good to show the signs and wonders that God has done for me.
3 God’s signs are amazing, and his wonders are powerful! His kingdom will never end, and he rules forever.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in my home and doing well in my palace.
5 I had a dream that scared me, and the ideas in my bed and the pictures in my head disturbed me.
6 So I ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be brought to me to explain the meaning of the dream.
7 The magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and fortune tellers came in, and I told them my dream, but they couldn’t explain what it meant.
8 Finally, Daniel came to see me, named Belteshazzar after my god, and filled with the spirit of the holy gods: I shared my dream with him, saying,
9 O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I am aware that you have the spirit of the holy gods, and nothing secret bothers you. Tell me what my dream means that I saw, and explain it to me.
10 In my bed, I had these dreams: I looked, and there was a tall tree standing in the center of the world.
11 The tree grew tall and strong, its top touched the sky, and it could be seen from the farthest parts of the earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful, it had lots of fruit, and there was food for everyone. Wild animals found shade under it, birds lived in its branches, and all creatures ate from it.
13 In my dream, as I lay in bed, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from the sky.
14 He shouted loudly, “Cut down the tree, trim its branches, shake its leaves off, and spread its fruit around: let the animals leave from under it, and the birds from its branches.”
15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, held with a band of iron and bronze, surrounded by young grass; let it be damp with the dew from the sky, and share its place with the animals among the plants of the earth.
16 Change his heart from a human’s to a beast’s, and let seven periods of time pass over him.
17 This decision is by the command of the guardians, and the order from the holy ones, so all people may learn that God has power over human kingdoms, and gives them to anyone he chooses, even to the least important people.
18 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, because all the wise people in my kingdom can’t explain it. But you can, because you have the spirit of the holy gods in you.
19 Then Daniel, also called Belteshazzar, was shocked for an hour, and his thoughts worried him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning upset you.” Daniel replied, “My lord, the dream is for those who dislike you, and its meaning is for your foes.”
20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, reaching high to the sky and visible to the whole world;
21 Its leaves were beautiful, it had lots of fruit, and it provided food for everyone; animals lived under it, and birds made their homes in its branches.
22 You, O king, have grown and become strong; your greatness has increased and extends to the heavens, and your rule to the ends of the earth.
23 The king saw a guardian and a sacred being coming down from the sky, saying, “Cut the tree down and get rid of it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with iron and bronze in the young grass of the field. Let it get wet with the morning dew, and share the land with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by.”
24 This is the meaning, O king, and this is God’s command that has come to you, the king:
25 You will be driven away from people, and you will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cows, and you will be covered with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you until you understand that God has power over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he chooses.
26 They said to leave the tree’s stump and roots; your kingdom will remain yours after you understand that God rules the heavens.
27 So, king, please accept my advice: stop sinning, do what is right, and be kind to the poor. Maybe then you will have a peaceful life.
28 Everything happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 After twelve months, he walked in the royal palace of Babylon.
30 The king said, “Isn’t this the great Babylon that I built as a royal palace by my mighty power and for the glory of my royal status?”
31 As the king was speaking, a voice came from the sky, saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: Your power as king is taken away from you.”
32 They will force you away from people, and you will live with wild animals. You will eat grass like cows, and seven periods will go by until you understand that God rules over the kingdoms of people and gives them to anyone he chooses.
33 Right away, Nebuchadnezzar’s fate happened: he was separated from people, ate grass like cattle, his body got wet with dew, until his hair grew long like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my mind came back to me. I praised and respected the Most High. I gave honor to him who lives forever. His rule goes on forever, and his kingdom lasts for all time.
35 Everyone on earth is considered unimportant: and God does what he wants with the heavenly forces and people on earth: and no one can stop his action, or ask him, “What are you doing?”
36 At that moment, my thinking became clear again. For the good of my kingdom, my honor and my radiance came back to me. My advisers and my nobles searched for me, and I regained my power over my kingdom, with even greater grandeur given to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and lift up and respect the King of heaven. All his deeds are right, and his paths are fair. He can humble those who are proud.