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The Book of Daniel 4

4 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that live in all the earth: May your peace abound! 2 It has seemed good to me to make known the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

3 How great are his signs,

and how mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay on my bed, the fantasies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I gave a decree to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretion. 8 But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told him the dream. 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since 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 their interpretation. 10 These were the visions of my head as I lay upon my bed: I was looking, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong. Its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches. All flesh was fed from it. 13 I was looking in the visions of my head as I lay on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He shouted aloud and said thus, ‘Chop down the tree and cut 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 leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let the mind of an animal be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. Now you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar asnwered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies. 20 The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, and whose top reached to heaven and was visible to all the earth 21 and whose leaves were beautiful, and whose fruit was abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the animals of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 In that the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the animals of the fields 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 come upon my lord the king: 25 that you will be driven from among men, and your dwelling will be with the animals of the fields. You will be made to eat grass like an ox, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and he gives it to whom he wishes. 26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you from the time you recognize that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that perhaps there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.”

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king answered and said, “Is this not the great Babylon, which I have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the mouth of the king, a voice fell from heaven: “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: the kingdom has departed from you. 32 You will be driven away from men, and your dwelling will be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass like an ox. Seven periods of time will pass over you until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and he gives it to whom he wishes.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from men. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown long like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like the claws of birds.

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me.

“I blessed the Most High,

and I praised and glorified him who lives forever.

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing;

he does according to his will among the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

36 At that time my reason returned to me, and my majesty and my splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and my noblemen sought me, and I was reestablished in my kingdom, and surpassing greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol, and honor the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right, and his ways are just; and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.

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