Daniel 4

1 [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!

King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.

2 I want you to know about [all] the wonderful miracles [DOU] that the Supreme God has performed for me.

It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me,

3 He performs great miracles, and does wonderful things. His kingdom will last forever; his rule [over people] will never end.

how great and mighty [they are]: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace. I was living luxuriantly, and everything was going very well for me.

I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.

5 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.

I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

6 So I summoned all the wise men in Babylon, in order that they would come and tell me what it meant.

And I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7 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.

So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers, [and] Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation thereof;

8 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.

until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has within him the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said,

9 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.

O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in you, and no mystery is too hard for you, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it.

10 This is what I dreamed while I was lying on my bed: I saw a large tree [growing] in the middle of the land.

I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

11 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.

The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth:

12 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.

its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed of it.

13 While I was still lying on my bed, I saw another vision. In the vision I saw a holy angel coming down from heaven.

I saw in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven and cried aloud, and thus he said,

14 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.

Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.

15 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.”

Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and [bind it] with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in the dew of heaven, and its portion [shall be] with the wild beasts in the grass of the field.

16 [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.

His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him.

17 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.”

The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may known that the Lord is most high [over] the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please, and will set up over it that which is set at nothing of men.

18 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.”

This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do you, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to show me the interpretation of it: but you, Daniel, are able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in you.

19 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].

Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Baltasar answered and said, [My] lord, let the dream be to them that hate you, and the interpretation of it to your enemies.

20 [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.

The tree which you saw, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth;

21 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.

and whose leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, (and it was meat for all; under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches: )

22 (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.

is yourself, O king; for you are grown great and powerful, and your greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.

23 [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.’

And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and he said, Strip the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and [bind it] with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it;

24 (Your Majesty/O King), that is what your dream means. That is what the Supreme God has declared will happen to you.

this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.

25 [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].

And they shall drive you forth from men, and your dwelling shall be with wild beasts, and they shall feed you with grass as an ox, and you shall have your lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you known that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whom he shall please.

26 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.

And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; your kingdom abides [sure] to you from the time that you shall know the power of the heavens.

27 (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.”

Therefore, O king, let my counsel please you, and atone for your sins by alms, and [your] iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be longsuffering to your trespasses.

28 But [the king refused to stop sinning. So what was predicted in the dream is] what happened to him.

All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

29 Twelve months later, [one day] he was walking [on the flat roof] of his palace in Babylon.

After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon,

30 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!”

the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power, for the honor of my glory?

31 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!

While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from heaven, [saying], To you, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from you.

32 [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.”

And they [shall] drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed you with grass as an ox: and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please.

33 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.

In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions' [hairs], and his nails as birds' [claws].

34 “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.

And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gave [him] glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [lasts] to all generations:

35 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]?’

and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to him, What has you done?

36 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.

At the same time my reason returned to me, and I came to the honor of my kingdom; and my [natural] form returned to me, and my princes, and my nobles, sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and more abundant majesty was added to me.

37 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].”

Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgment: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase.