DAN 4:18 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) I, King Nevukadnetstsar, had this dream. Now you, O Belteshatstsar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men in my kingdom can tell me the interpretation. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT 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.”

UST 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.’ ”

BSB This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you [are] able, because the spirit of the holy gods [is] in you.”

OEB No OEB DAN book available

WEBBE “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, for none of the wise men in my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

LSV This dream I have seen, I King Nebuchadnezzar; and you, O Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and you [are] able, for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in you.”

FBV This is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw in my dream. Now it's up to you, Belteshazzar, to give me the explanation as you have before. None of the wise men in my kingdom could explain it to me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

T4T 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.”

LEB “ ‘This is the dream that I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, saw. Now[fn] you, Belteshazzar, declare its explanation, _⌊for_⌋[fn] all of the wise men of my kingdom were not able to make the explanation known to me, but you are able because the spirit of holy gods is in you.’

4:18 Or “And”

4:18 Literally “all of because that”

BBE This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; and do you, O Belteshazzar, make clear the sense of it, for all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the sense of it clear to me; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

Moff I, king Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. Now, O Belteshazzar, tell me the meaning of it, since all the sages of my kingdom are unable to let me know the meaning; but you are able, for the spirit of the gods divine is in you.’

JPS (4-15) This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.'

ASV This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

DRA And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.

YLT 'This dream I have seen, I king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation tell, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and thou [art] able, for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee.

Drby This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy [fn]gods is in thee.

4.18 Elohim

RV This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen: and thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
(This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen: and thou/you, Oh Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou/you art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee/you. )

SLT This dream, I king Nebuchadnezzar saw. And thou Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, because that all the wise of my kingdom not being able to make known to me the interpretation: and thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Wbstr This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation of it, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

KJB-1769 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
(This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou/you, Oh Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou/you art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee/you. )

KJB-1611 This dreame, I king Nebuchadnezzar haue seene: Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the Wise men of my kingdome are not able to make knowen vnto mee the interpretation: but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy Gods is in thee.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps This is the dreame that I king Nabuchodonozor haue seene: therfore thou, O Baltassar, declare the interpretation therof, forsomuch as al the wyse men of my kingdome are not able to shewe me what it meaneth: but thou canst do it, for the spirite of the holy gods is in thee.
(This is the dream that I king Nabuchodonozor have seen: therefore thou/you, Oh Baltassar, declare the interpretation thereof, forsomuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to show me what it meaneth: but thou/you canst do it, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee/you.)

Gnva Whose leaues were faire and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meate for all, vnder the which the beastes of the fielde dwelt, and vpon whose branches the foules of the heauen did sit,
(Whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all, under the which the beasts/animals of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls/birds of the heaven did sit, )

Cvdl This is the dreame, yt I kynge Nabuchodonosor haue sene. Therfore o Balthasar, tell thou me what it signifieth: for so moch as all the wyse men off my kyngdome are not able to shewe me, what it meaneth. But thou canst do it, for ye sprete of the holy Goddes is in the.
(This is the dream, it I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Therefore o Balthasar, tell thou/you me what it signifieth: for so much as all the wise men off my kingdom are not able to show me, what it meaneth. But thou/you canst do it, for ye/you_all spirit of the holy Goddes is in them.)

Wycl and the faireste braunchis therof, and the fruyt therof ful myche, and the mete of alle in it, and beestis of the feeld dwellynge vndur it, and the briddis of the eir dwellynge in the boowis therof,
(and the fairest branches thereof, and the fruit thereof full much, and the meet of all in it, and beasts/animals of the field dwelling under it, and the birds of the heir dwelling in the boughs thereof,)

Luth und seine Äste schön und seiner Früchte viel, davon alles zu essen hatte, und die Tiere auf dem Felde unter ihm wohneten, und die Vögel des Himmels auf seinen Ästen saßen:
(and his Äste beautiful and his fruit many, of_that all/everything to/for eat had, and the animals on/in/to to_him field under him lived/resided, and the birds the heavens on/in/to his branches sat:)

ClVg et rami ejus pulcherrimi, et fructus ejus nimius, et esca omnium in ea, subter eam habitantes bestiæ agri, et in ramis ejus commorantes aves cæli:
(and branches his beautifulrimi, and fruit his nimius, and food of_all in/into/on them, underneath her inhabitants beasts/animals fields, and in/into/on branches his commorantes birds heavens: )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–37: God judged King Nebuchadnezzar

The author of Daniel 4 wrote in the Aramaic language. These Notes are based on the BSB, which is based on the Aramaic text called the MT (Masoretic Text). However, the early Greek translation known as the Septuagint is different from the Aramaic text in many places in Daniel 4. Scholars are uncertain why the two are so different. It may be that the Greek translators worked from an Aramaic text that was different from that of the MT. The Notes will discuss the differences between the two texts for certain important passages.

The verse numbers of the BSB and most English versions are different from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text. The NJPS and NJB are two exceptions. They follow the verse numbers in the Aramaic text.Baldwin (p. 107) notes that the chapter divisions in the present Aramaic text were not necessarily those of the original text. The difference in numbering can cause confusion when citing verses in different translations. For example, Daniel 4:1 in the BSB is 3:31 in the NJPS and NJB. Daniel 4:4 is 4:1 in the NJB and NJPS, and so on. When these Notes cite verses in the NJPS and the NJB, they will give both the verse numbers in those versions and the corresponding BSB verse numbers.

Versions give different headings to Daniel 4. For example:

Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream (NRSV)

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a tree (NLT)

A letter from Nebuchadnezzar about his insanity (GW)

In some languages it may be more natural that the heading be a full sentence. For example:

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a second dream

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a tree

Nebuchadnezzar wrote a letter about how he became insane

Special Problems:

1. Change of Speaker: In Daniel 4, the person who tells the story varies between the king and the narrator. For example:

A. In 4:1–18 the king told what happened to him in the first person.

B. In 4:19–27 the narrator told the story of how Daniel interpreted the king’s dream.

C. In 4:28–33 the narrator told what happened to Nebuchadnezzar.

D. In 4:34–37 the king again spoke directly in the first person.

The Notes will inform you when there is a change of speaker and suggest how to translate these passages.

2. Repetition: When Daniel interpreted the king’s dream (4:19–27), he repeated parts of what the king had previously told him (in 4:10–16). Later, when the narrator told what happened to the king (4:28–33), he repeated what Daniel had said would happen (in 4:25). This kind of repetition creates suspense in the story. Repetition also helps to emphasize the main theme of the account. For example, at the end of the account, the king repeated information from the beginning (4:3, 34). This information is the theme of the chapter: God is sovereign over human rulers.

3. Synonyms: The author liked to use synonyms, different words with the same or similar meaning. In some cases, he used synonyms to emphasize an idea. For example, in 4:37 the king used three synonyms in the same sentence to emphasize the idea of praise. In some languages this may not be natural. The Notes will suggest other ways you can translate synonyms.

4. Commands: In the dream, the angel made a number of commands. The text does not usually say to whom the angel was giving these commands. Sometimes the angel commanded non-living objects to do something. In all these cases, the angel was speaking a message from God. And when God commands that something happen, it will certainly happen. In some languages it may not be natural to use commands in this way. If that is true in your language, you may be able to translate these commands as authoritative declarations. The Notes will give examples of how you may do this.

5. Poetic Parallelism: The author of Daniel 4 liked to use poetic form to communicate ideas. In Aramaic poetry, authors often used pairs of clauses to say the same thing in two different ways. This type of poetry has many different functions. Sometimes the author used poetry to emphasize themes. Other times he used poetry to mark the climax of a section. This kind of poetry may not be natural in your language. The Notes will describe the function of the poetic speech in Daniel. They will also suggest some options on how you might translate this type of poetry in your own language.

6. Form: The author wrote Daniel 4 in the form of a royal proclamation. This proclamation form gives authority to the account. The style of the proclamation is similar to that of a letter, and the beginning of the chapter is similar to other Aramaic letters. The king first identifies himself. Second, he indicates to whom he is writing, that is, those he intends to read his letter. Third, he greets his readers. In your language, people may have a different way of identifying the author or addressee of a letter. The Notes will suggest some options on how to translate this letter style.

7. Key Terms: Two key terms in Daniel 4 are “earth” and “heaven.” Both words have more than one meaning. The Aramaic word that the BSB generally translates as “earth” can mean either “ground,” “land,” or “world.” The Aramaic word that the BSB generally translates as “heaven” can mean either “sky” or “where God lives.” In 4:26 the author used the word “Heaven” to refer to God himself. The author plays on these two words and their meanings to highlight the main theme of the chapter: “God in heaven rules over the affairs of men on earth.” The Notes will explain the meaning of these two key terms in each context.

Paragraph 4:18

Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to interpret his dream.

4:18a

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw.

¶ That was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed.
¶ I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, have told you my dream.

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw: The king summarized what he had just been telling Daniel. This functions as an introduction to his command to Daniel. Other ways to translate this include:

This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. (RSV)

That is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed (NCV)

I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have told you my dream.

This is the dream: In this context the Aramaic pronoun that the BSB translates as This refers back, to the contents of the dream in 4:13–17. In some languages it may be natural to say:

that was the dream (NLT)

I, King Nebuchadnezzar: The king mentioned his name to emphasize his authority and the importance of what he was about to ask. If it is unnatural in your language for a ruler to state his name like this, you may have another way to express this same emphasis.

4:18b

Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation,

And you, Belteshazzar, must interpret it for me,
I want you, Belteshazzar, to explain its meaning,

Now: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as Now here introduces the king’s command to Daniel. The king required Daniel to explain the dream he had just described to him. Introduce this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

And (ESV)

So now

Belteshazzar: The king addressed Daniel by his Babylonian name. See the Notes at 4:8b.

tell me the interpretation: The king asked Daniel to interpret his dream. He believed that the contents of the dream indicated something about events in real life. He wanted Daniel to tell him what this was. Another way to say this is:

declare the interpretation (RSV)

tell me its meaning (GW)

4:18c

because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me.

because all of the wise advisers in my kingdom/land are unable to interpret the dream.
since none of the experts/scholars of Babylon were able to explain what it meant.

because: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as because here introduces a reason clause. The king commanded Daniel to interpret his dream because none of the other wise men were able to do it. Introduce this reason in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

for (NIV)

since (NRSV)

none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me: The king had already called his various experts to him to explain the dream. They had not been able to do so (see 4:6–7). Other ways to translate this include:

not one of the sages in my kingdom has been able to interpret it for me (NJB)

None of my royal advisers could tell me. (GNT)

none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so (NLT)

In some languages it may be natural to translate this idea using a negative verb. For example:

all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to tell me the interpretation (NRSV)

the wise advisers in my kingdom can’t tell it to me (GW)

all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation (ESV)

none of the wise men: In some languages it may be natural to translate this negative idea using a singular noun. For example:

There is not one wise man who

No wise man

the wise men: In this context, the phrase the wise men is a general expression that includes all the king’s advisors. See the Notes on wise men at 4:6a. Other ways to translate it here include:

the wise advisers (GW)

the royal advisers (GNT)

of my kingdom: The phrase of my kingdom refers to all the territory that Nebuchadnezzar ruled. Other ways to translate this include:

in all the lands I rule

throughout my country/empire

can interpret it for me: See the Notes at 4:6b. None of the king’s wise men were able to interpret the dream for the king. Other ways to say this include:

can explain it to me (NCV)

can do so (NLT)

4:18d

But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

But I know you are able to interpret the dream for me, for the spirit of the holy gods lives in you.”
But the sacred deities/gods have give you their spirit of special power/ability, so I know you can explain it.”

But: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as But here indicates a contrast. The wise men were not able to interpret the dream, but the king believed that Daniel could do it.

you are able: In some languages it may be more natural to indicate what the king believed Daniel could do. For example:

you can tell me the meaning

you are able to interpret the dream

because: The Aramaic connector that the BSB translates as because here introduces the reason why the king believed that Daniel could interpret the dream. Translate this connector in a way that is natural in your language. Here is another way to translate this:

for (NRSV)