Daniel 4:1–18 — Nevukadnetsar’s second dream

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Dan 4:1–18

4:1 Nevukadnetsar’s second dream

4 King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) sent this message to all people groups, nations, and languages that live all over the world:

May you have peace and prosperity. 2 It seemed good to me to let you all know about the amazing miracles that the supreme God has done for me.

3 The miracles he does are incredible,

≈ and his acts of creation are powerful.

His kingdom will last forever,

≈ and his authority goes from one generation to another.

4 I, Nevukadnetsar, was doing well at home, and prospering at my work in my palace, 5 but one night as I lay in bed, I had a dream that scared me—the images and visions in my head terrified me. 6 So I summoned all of Bavel’s (Babylon’s) wise men to come and tell me the interpretation of the dream. 7 When those magicians, fortune-tellers, sorcerers and astrologers arrived, I told them the dream, but they didn’t know the interpretation.

8 Finally, Daniyel came in—he’d been named Belteshatsar (Belteshazzar) after my god’s name. The spirit of the holy gods is in him, and I told him the dream: 9 “Oh Belteshatsar, 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, go through the visions of my dream and tell me their interpretation.

10 This is the vision that was in my mind as a lay in bed: I was looking and was surprised to see a very tall tree growing in the middle of a field. 11 The tree kept growing taller and stronger until its top reached the sky and it could be seen from all over the world. 12 It had beautiful leaves were beautiful and lots of fruit on it. It provided food for everything, the animals in the countryside found shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches. Every living thing benefitted from it.

13 I was looking at the visions in my mind as I lay in bed, and then, wow, a holy sentinel came down from the heavens. 14 He shouted loudly, ‘Chop that tree down and cut its branches off, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the animals run away from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and bind it with a band of iron and bronze. Let it become wet with the dew in the tender grass of the field, accompanied only by those animals that live in the grass. 16 Let his mind[fn] be changed from a man to an animal as seven periods pass over him. 17 That sentence is by the decree of the sentinels, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the highest one is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whoever he wants—even to those who seem unimportant.’

18 I, King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar), had this dream. Now you, Belteshatsar (Belteshazzar), 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.”

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Literal Version DAN 3:31

31 [fn] Nəⱱūkadneʦʦar Oh/the_king to/from_all/each/any/every the_peoples the_nations and_the_languages which are_dwelling[fn] in_all the_earth peace _of_your(pl) may _it _increase.

32 [fn] The_signs and_the_wonders which he _has _done with_me the_god mmm[fn] it _seemed _good before_me to_reply.

33 [fn] Are_his _of_signs how great and_are_wonders _of_his how strong kingdom _of_his is_a _kingdom _of perpetuity and_dominion _of_his is_with generation and_generation.

3:31 Note: KJB: Dān.4.1

3:31 OSHB variant note: דארין: (x-qere) ’דָיְרִ֥ין’: lemma=1753 morph=AVqrmpa id=27HGZ דָיְרִ֥ין

3:32 Note: KJB: Dān.4.2

3:32 OSHB variant note: עלי/א: (x-qere) ’עִלָּאָ֑/ה’: lemma=5943 n=1 morph=AAamsd/Td id=27D85 עִלָּאָ֑/ה

3:33 Note: KJB: Dān.4.3

Literal Version DAN 4:1

4 [fn] I Nəⱱūkadneʦʦar at _ease I _was in_house _of_my and_flourishing in_palace _of_my.

2 [fn] A _dream I _saw and_it_made _me _afraid and_imaginings on bed _of_my and_visions _of my _head they_alarmed _me.

3 [fn] And_from_me a _decree it _was _made to_bring _in before_me to_all/each/any/every the _wise _men _of Bāⱱel that the _interpretation _of the_dream they_will _make _known _to _me.

4 [fn] In_then were_going _in[fn] the_magicians the_conjurers the_Kasdaye[fn] and_the_astrologers and_the_dream I was_saying before_them and_its_interpretation not they_were_making _known to_me.

5 [fn] And_unto last he _came _in before_me Dāniyy^ʼēl who his/its_name is_Bēləţəshaʼʦʦar like_the _name _of my _god and_who a _spirit _of gods holy is_in_him and_the_dream before_him I _said.

6 [fn] Oh _Bēləţəshaʼʦʦar the _chief _of the _magicians whom I I _know that a _spirit _of gods holy on/over_you(fs) and_all secret not is_oppressing to/for_you(fs) the _visions _of my _dream which I _saw and_its_interpretation tell.

7 [fn] And_visions _of my _head on bed _of_my seeing I _was and_lo a _tree in_the _midst _of the _land and_height _of_its was_great.

8 [fn] The_tree it _grew _great and_it _grew _strong and_height _of_its it _reached to_the_heavens and_the _sight _of_of _it was_to_the _end _of all _of the_land.

9 [fn] Foliage _of_its was_beautiful and_fruit _of_its was_plentiful and_food for _all was_on_it under_it it _had _shade the _animal[s]_of the _field and_in_branches _of_its they _nested[fn] the _birds _of the_heavens and_from_it all _of the_flesh it _fed.

10 [fn] Seeing I _was in_the _visions _of my _head on bed _of_my and_lo a _watcher and_a _holy_one from the_heavens was_coming _down.

11 [fn] He_was_proclaiming with_power and_thus/so/as _follows he_was_saying cut _down the_tree and_cut _off branches _of_its strip _off foliage _of_its and_scatter fruit _of_its the_animal[s] let _it _flee from under_it and_the_birds from branches _of_its.

12 [fn] Nevertheless the _stump _of its _roots in_the_ground leave and_with_a _fetter of iron and_bronze in_the_grass of the_field and_with_the _dew _of the_heavens let _it _become _wet and_be_with the_animal[s] portion _of_its in_the _grass _of the _earth.

13 [fn] Heart _of_its away _from humankind[fn] let _it _be _changed and_the_heart _of an _animal let _it _be _given to_him/it and_seven times let _them _pass over_it.

14 [fn] Is_by_the_decree _of watchers the_command and_is _by _the_message _of holy_ones the_affair to the_cause _of (of)_that the _living_people they _will _know that is_having _mastery mmm[fn] over_the _kingdom _of mmm[fn][fn] and_to_whomever whom he _will _be _pleased he and_a _lowly_one_of humankind he _will _set _up mmm[fn].

15 [fn] This the_dream I Oh/the_king Nəⱱūkadneʦʦar I _saw and[fn] Oh _Bēləţəshaʼʦʦar its_interpretation tell as_to because that all _of the _wise _men _of my _kingdom not are_able the_interpretation to_make _know_me and[fn] are_able that a _spirit _of gods holy on/over_you(fs).

4:1 Note: KJB: Dān.4.4

4:2 Note: KJB: Dān.4.5

4:3 Note: KJB: Dān.4.6

4:4 Note: KJB: Dān.4.7

4:4 OSHB variant note: עללין: (x-qere) ’עָלִּ֗ין’: lemma=5954 n=1.1.1 morph=AVqrmpa id=27a5b עָלִּ֗ין

4:4 OSHB variant note: כשדי/א: (x-qere) ’כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖/י’: lemma=3779 n=1.0 morph=ANgmsc/Sp1cs id=277ej כַּשְׂדָּאֵ֖/י

4:5 Note: KJB: Dān.4.8

4:6 Note: KJB: Dān.4.9

4:7 Note: KJB: Dān.4.10

4:8 Note: KJB: Dān.4.11

4:9 Note: KJB: Dān.4.12

4:9 OSHB variant note: ידרון: (x-qere) ’יְדוּרָן֙’: lemma=1753 n=0.1.0 morph=AVqi3mp id=27ZMa יְדוּרָן֙

4:10 Note: KJB: Dān.4.13

4:11 Note: KJB: Dān.4.14

4:12 Note: KJB: Dān.4.15

4:13 Note: KJB: Dān.4.16

4:13 OSHB variant note: אנוש/א: (x-qere) ’אֲנָשָׁ֣/א’: lemma=606 morph=ANcmsd/Td id=27pV4 אֲנָשָׁ֣/א

4:14 Note: KJB: Dān.4.17

4:14 OSHB variant note: עלי/א: (x-qere) ’עִלָּאָ֜/ה’: lemma=5943 n=0.1.1.0 morph=ANcmsd/Td id=27bjL עִלָּאָ֜/ה

4:14 OSHB variant note: אנוש/א: (x-qere) ’אֲנָשָׁ֗/א’: lemma=606 n=0.1.1 morph=ANcmsd/Td id=27xLT אֲנָשָׁ֗/א

4:14 OSHB note: Yathir readings in L which we have designated as Qeres when both Dothan and BHS list a Qere.

4:14 OSHB variant note: עלי/ה: (x-qere) ’עֲלַֽ/הּ’: lemma=5922 n=0 morph=AR/Sp3fs id=27EHX עֲלַֽ/הּ

4:15 Note: KJB: Dān.4.18

4:15 OSHB variant note: ו/אנתה: (x-qere) ’וְ/אַ֨נְתְּ’: lemma=c/607 morph=AC/Pp2ms id=27eoV וְ/אַ֨נְתְּ

4:15 OSHB variant note: ו/אנתה: (x-qere) ’וְ/אַ֣נְתְּ’: lemma=c/607 morph=AC/Pp2ms id=27Frb וְ/אַ֣נְתְּ

4:16 It seems now that the tree represented a man.

OET-RV by cross-referenced section DAN 4:1

Nevukadnetsar’s second dream

Dan 4:1–18