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Daniel 4

4 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, am writing to all of you people who live in my empire. You come from many different nations and groups, and you speak many different languages. I hope that all is well with you. 2 I want you to know the wonderful things that the Supreme God has done for me.

3 He performs great miracles;

yes, he does very wonderful things.

His kingdom will last forever;

indeed, he will rule over every generation of people.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was reigning firmly over my kingdom, and I was living comfortably in my palace. 5 But one night I had a dream that scared me. What I saw in my dream as I was asleep in bed distressed me greatly. 6 So I sent an order to all the wise men in Babylon to come and tell me what my dream meant. 7 And various magicians, enchanters, advisors, and fortunetellers came to me. I told them what I had dreamed, but they could not tell me what it meant. 8 But finally a certain man, Daniel, came to me. One of my officials had given him the name Belteshazzar, which includes the name of one of my gods, Bel. The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him what I had dreamed. 9 I said, “Belteshazzar, you are the leader of my advisors. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, so no mystery is too hard for you to explain. So I will tell you the dream that I saw, and you tell me what it means. 10 This is what I dreamed as I was lying in bed. In my dream, I saw a tree in the middle of the land. It was very tall. 11 It grew very big, and it became strong. It seemed that its top reached up to the sky, so that everyone in the world could see it. 12 It had beautiful leaves, and it produced much fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches. Many creatures came and got food from that tree. 13 But while I was still asleep and dreaming, I saw a holy angel coming down from heaven. 14 The angel shouted loudly, ‘Cut down that tree, and cut off its branches! Shake it until its leaves fall off, and throw away its fruit. Chase away the animals that are lying in its shade and the birds that are in its branches. 15 But leave the stump of the tree with its roots in the ground where grass grows. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump to protect it from splitting. Let the dew that forms from the air keep it damp.’ That tree seemed to represent a person, since the angel then said, ‘Make him eat grass from the ground as animals do. 16 For seven years, make him have the mind of an animal instead of the mind of a human being. 17 The holy angels have decided that this will be his punishment. They want people to know that the Supreme God rules over human kingdoms. He chooses who will be their kings. He even makes people who were not important into kings.’ 18 That is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw in my dream. Now I want you, Belteshazzar, to tell me what it means. I am asking you because none of my other wise men could tell me what it meant. But I believe you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19 But Daniel, whom we called Belteshazzar, did not say anything for a while. That was because he knew what the dream meant, and it distressed him. Finally I said to him, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its meaning distress you.” He replied, “Sir, I hope that what your dream shows will happen to your enemies, who hate you, and not to you. 20 In your dream you saw a very tall, strong tree. It seemed that its top reached up to the sky, so that everyone in the world could see it. 21 It had beautiful leaves, and it produced much fruit for people to eat. Wild animals rested in the shade of that tree, and birds built nests in its branches. 22 Your Majesty, that tree represents you! You have become great and strong. It is as if you rule everything from the ground up to the sky, all throughout the world. 23 But in your dream, you saw a holy angel coming down from heaven. That angel said, ‘Cut down that tree so that it does not keep growing! But leave the stump of the tree with its roots in the ground where grass grows. Fasten a band of iron and bronze around the stump to protect it from splitting. Let the dew that forms from the air keep it damp. Make the person whom that tree represents eat what wild animals do for seven years.’ 24 This is what your dream means, Your Majesty. It shows what the Supreme God has decided will happen to you. 25 You will no longer have a human mind, and so you will no longer live among people. Instead, you will live with wild animals. This will require you to eat grass as oxen do. The dew that forms from the air will make your body damp. You will live that way for seven years, until you recognize that the Supreme God rules over human kingdoms. He chooses who will be their kings. 26 However, the angel said to leave the stump of the tree in the ground with its roots. That means that you will rule your kingdom again when you recognize that God rules over human kingdoms. 27 So that this does not happen to you, Your Majesty, please do what I advise. Stop sinning and do what is right. Stop doing oppressive things and help poor people. If you do that, perhaps you will continue to reign comfortably.” 28 But everything that the dream depicted happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 A year later, he was walking around on the flat roof of his royal palace in Babylon. 30 As he looked out over the city, he said aloud, “This is the great city of Babylon that I have built as the place where I rule! I have built it by my own great power to show people what a glorious king I am!” 31 While he was still saying that, someone spoke to him from heaven. He said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, this decree is about you: you are no longer the ruler of this kingdom! 32 You will no longer live among people. Instead, you will live with wild animals. This will require you to eat grass as oxen do. You will live that way for seven years, until you recognize that the Supreme God rules over human kingdoms. He chooses who will be their kings.” 33 Immediately what this person had said happened to me, Nebuchadnezzar. I no longer lived among people. Instead, I ate grass as oxen do.The dew that forms from the air made my body damp. I lived like that until my hair became as long as eagles’ feathers. My fingernails became like birds’ claws. 34 But at the end of those seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, prayed to God, and he gave me a human mind again.

Then I worshiped the Supreme God,

and I praised and honored him, who lives forever.

He will rule forever;

indeed, he will be the king of every generation of people.

35 Compared with him, all the people in the world are insignificant.

He does whatever he wants with the angels in heaven

and with us people who live on the earth.

No one can stop him from doing what he wants

or tell him, “You may not do that.”

36 Then I was able to think reasonably again. I became the very powerful ruler of a glorious kingdom once more. My advisors and my nobles treated me respectfully again. Once more I ruled my kingdom firmly, and I became much more powerful than I had been before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, greatly praise and honor God, the king who rules in heaven. Everything that he does is right, and he always treats people fairly. When people become too proud, he is able to humble them.

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