Daniel 4

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar, to the nations, peoples, and languages that dwell in all the earth: May your peace abound!

² It is my pleasure to tell you about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

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

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

⁵ I had a dream that frightened me. The images and visions in my mind as I lay in bed terrified me.

⁶ So I issued a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylon before me so they could make the dream's interpretation known to me.

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

⁸ Finally Daniel came before me—he who is called Belteshazzar after the name of my god—and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told him the dream:

⁹ "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you, here is the dream I saw. Tell me its interpretation.

¹⁰ These are the visions I saw while in my bed: I looked, and there before me was a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was enormous.

¹¹ The tree grew large and strong, and its top touched the sky. It was visible to the ends of the whole earth.

¹² Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the sky lived, and all living creatures were fed from it.

¹³ "In the visions I saw while in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

¹⁴ He called out in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.

¹⁵ But let the stump remain in the ground, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth.

¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a human mind, and let a beast's mind be given to him, until seven periods of time pass over him.

¹⁷ "'This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, this verdict by the word of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all the kingdoms of the earth and gives them to anyone he wishes, and sets over them the lowliest of people.'"

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

¹⁹ Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was deeply troubled for a time, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, may the dream apply to your enemies and its interpretation to your foes!

²⁰ The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top touched the sky, visible to all the earth,

²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived and in whose branches the birds of the sky nested—

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

²³ "And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut the tree down and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its leaves are drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass over him.'

²⁴ "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High that has been issued against my lord the king:

²⁵ You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass over you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

²⁶ The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

²⁷ Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: break with your sins by doing what is right, and with your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged."

²⁸ All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

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

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

³¹ Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven: "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.

³² You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like an ox. Seven periods of time will pass over you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes."

³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from people and ate grass like an ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

³⁴ At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever:
"His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

³⁵ All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him, 'What have you done?'"

³⁶ At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.

³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.