Daniel 4

1 Rey Nabucodonosor, a los pueblos de todas las naciones y lenguas del mundo entero: Les deseo lo mejor!

[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!

2 Tengo el placer de compartir con ustedes un relato de las señales y maravillas que el Dios Altísimo ha hecho por mí.

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

3 Sus señales son increíbles. Sus maravillas son asombrosas. Su reino es un reino eterno, y su gobierno durará por todas las generaciones.

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

4 A mí, Nabucodonosor, me iba bien en casa, viviendo felizmente en mi palacio.

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

5 Pero una noche tuve un sueño que me asustó mucho: vi visiones que me aterrorizaron mientras estaba acostado en mi cama.

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.

6 Así que ordené que trajeran ante mí a todos los sabios de Babilonia para que me explicaran el sueño.

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

7 Cuando vinieron los magos, los encantadores, los astrólogos y los adivinos, les conté el sueño, pero no pudieron explicarme lo que significaba.

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.

8 Al final, Daniel se presentó ante mí y le conté el sueño. (También se llama Beltsasar, como mi dios, y tiene el espíritu de los dioses santos en él).

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.

9 “Beltsasar, jefe de los magos”, yo dije: “Ciertamente sé que el espíritu de los dioses santos está en ti y que ningún misterio te resulta difícil de explicar. Así que cuéntame lo que he visto en mi sueño y explícame lo que significa.

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.

10 “Mientras soñaba en la cama, vi un árbol en medio de la tierra, un árbol muy grande.

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

11 Crecía fuerte y alto, y llegaba hasta el cielo, de modo que podía ser visto por todo el mundo.

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.

12 Sus hojas eran hermosas y estaba lleno de frutos que todos podían comer. Los animales salvajes descansaban a su sombra y los pájaros anidaban en sus ramas. Alimentaba a todos los seres vivos.

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.

13 “Mientras soñaba, acostado en mi cama, vi a un vigilante, un santo, bajando del cielo.

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

14 Y gritó en voz alta: ‘¡Destruyan el árbol y corten sus ramas! Sacudan sus hojas y dispersen sus frutos. Alejen a los animales de su sombra y espanten a las aves de sus ramas.

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.

15 Pero dejen el tronco y sus raíces en la tierra, y átenlo con hierro y bronce, rodeado de la hierba nueva del campo. Dejen que él se empape del rocío del cielo, y que viva con los animales afuera, en medio de la maleza.

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.”

16 Que su mente se vuelva como la de un animal. Y que sea así por siete veces.

[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.

17 Este es el decreto transmitido por los vigías, el veredicto declarado por los santos para que todos los vivos sepan que el Altísimo gobierna los reinos humanos. Él se los da a quien quiere: pone al frente a los más humildes’.

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.”

18 “Esto es lo que yo, el rey Nabucodonosor, vi en mi sueño. Ahora te toca a ti, Beltsasar, darme la explicación como lo has hecho antes. Ninguno de los sabios de mi reino pudo explicármelo. Pero tú puedes, porque el espíritu de los dioses santos está en ti”.

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.”

19 Cuando Daniel (también llamado Beltsasar) escuchó esto, se angustió por un tiempo, perturbado mientras pensaba en ello. El rey le dijo: “Beltsasar, no te preocupes por el sueño y lo que significa”. “Mi señor, sólo deseo que este sueño sea para los que te odian y la explicación para tus enemigos”, respondió Daniel.

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].

20 “El árbol que viste crecía fuerte y alto, llegando a lo alto del cielo para que pudiera ser visto por todos en el mundo entero.

[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.

21 Sus hojas eran hermosas y estaba lleno de frutos que todos podían comer. Los animales salvajes vivían a su sombra y los pájaros anidaban en sus ramas.

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.

22 Este eres tú, Majestad. Te has hecho fuerte, tu poder se ha hecho tan grande que ha llegado hasta el cielo, y tu dominio se extiende hasta los confines de la tierra.

(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.

23 “Entonces Su Majestad vio bajar del cielo a un vigilante, un santo, que dijo: ‘Corten el árbol y destrúyanlo, pero dejen el tronco y sus raíces en la tierra, y átenlo con hierro y bronce, rodeado de la hierba nueva del campo. Que se empape con el rocío del cielo y que viva con los animales de fuera, en la maleza. Que su mente se vuelva como la de un animal. Que sea así por siete veces’.

[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.’

24 “Esto es lo que significa, Su Majestad, y lo que el Altísimo ha decretado que le sucederá a mi señor el rey.

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

25 Serás expulsado de la sociedad humana y vivirás con los animales salvajes. Comerás hierba como el ganado, y te empaparás del rocío del cielo. Así estarás durante siete veces hasta que reconozcas que el Altísimo gobierna los reinos humanos y que se los da a quienes él escoge.

[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].

26 Sin embargo, como fue decretado, el tronco y sus raíces deben quedar en la tierra. Tu reino te será devuelto cuando reconozcas que el Cielo gobierna.

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.

27 “Así que, Majestad, hazme caso. Deja de pecar y haz lo que es correcto. Acaba con tus iniquidades y sé misericordioso con los oprimidos. Tal vez entonces las cosas sigan yendo bien para ti”.

(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.”

28 (Sin embargo, todo esto le sucedió al rey Nabucodonosor.

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

29 Doce meses después estaba caminando sobre el tejado del palacio real de Babilonia.

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

30 Él dijo: “¡Yo fui quien construyó esta gran ciudad de Babilonia! Por mi propio gran poder la construí como mi residencia real para mi majestuosa gloria!”

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!”

31 Las palabras aún estaban en los labios del rey cuando llegó una voz del cielo: “Rey Nabucodonosor, esto es lo que se ha decretado respecto a ti: el reino te ha sido quitado.

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!

32 Serás expulsado de la sociedad humana y vivirás con los animales salvajes. Comerás hierba como el ganado, y te empaparás del rocío del cielo. Estarás así durante siete veces hasta que reconozcas que el Altísimo gobierna los reinos humanos y que los entrega a quien él quiere”.

[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.”

33 Inmediatamente se cumplió el decreto, y Nabucodonosor fue expulsado de la sociedad humana. Comió hierba como el ganado, y su cuerpo se empapó del rocío del cielo. Sus cabellos crecieron enmarañados como los de un buitre, y sus uñas como las de un pájaro).

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.

34 Pasado el tiempo, yo, Nabucodonosor, miré al cielo y mi cordura volvió a mí. Bendije y alabé al Altísimo y adoré al que vive para siempre. Su gobierno es un gobierno eterno, y su reino dura por todas las generaciones.

“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.

35 Todos los que viven en la tierra son como nada comparados con él. Él hace lo que quiere entre las huestes celestiales y entre los que viven en la tierra. Nadie puede retenerlo de lo que hace, ni preguntarle: “¿Qué haces?”.

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]?’

36 Cuando mi cordura regresó, también volvieron a mí mi reino, mi majestad y mi esplendor. Mis consejeros y nobles vinieron a buscarme, y fui restaurado como gobernante de mi reino, aún más grande que antes.

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.

37 Así que ahora yo, Nabucodonosor, alabo, honro y glorifico al Rey del Cielo, porque todo lo que hace es correcto y sus caminos son verdaderos. Él es capaz de humillar a los que son orgullosos.

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].”