Daniel 4

King Nebuchadnezzar, to all of the peoples, nations, and languages that are dwelling in all of the earth. May your peace abound.

It has seemed good before me to make known the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done with me. 3 How great {are} his signs, and how mighty {are} his wonders! His kingdom {is} a kingdom of eternity, and his dominion {is} with generation and generation. \*

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was being secure in my house and prosperous in my palace.

I saw a dream and it frightened me. And the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.

And a decree was set from me to bring before me all of the wise men of Babylon, that they might make me know the interpretation of the dream. \*

Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners were coming in, and I was telling the dream before them, but they were not making me know its interpretation.

And until another came in before me, Daniel, whose name {is} Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom {is} the spirit of the holy gods, and I told the dream before him.

“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I am knowing that the spirit of the holy gods {is} in you and every mystery is not constraining you, tell {me} the visions of my dream that I have seen and its interpretation. \*

And the visions of my head upon my bed: I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height {was} great.

The tree became great, and it became strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and its sight, to the end of all of the earth.

Its foliage {was} beautiful, and its fruit {was} great, and food for all {was} in it. The beast of the field had shade beneath it, and the birds of the heavens dwelled in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. \*

I was looking in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy {one} was coming down from the heavens.

He called out in strength, and thus he was saying, ‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches, shake off its foliage, and scatter its fruit. Let the beast flee from beneath it, and the birds, from its branches. \*

But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and {let} its portion {be} with the beast in the grass of the earth.

Let his heart be changed from a man, and let the heart of a beast be given to him, and let seven times pass over him. \*

The matter {is} by a decree of the watchers, and the decision {is} from a command of the holy ones, for the purpose that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of man, and to whom that he wishes, he gives it, and he sets up over it the lowest of men.’

I saw this dream, I, King Nebuchadnezzar. And you, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, all before that all of the wise men of my kingdom are not being able to make me know the interpretation. But you are being able because the spirit of the holy gods {is} in you.” \*

Then Daniel, whose name {was} Belteshazzar, was appalled for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and was saying, “Belteshazzar, may the dream and the interpretation not alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and was saying, “My lord, {may} the dream {be} for the ones hating you and its interpretation, for your enemies. \*

The tree that you saw, which became great and became strong, and its height reached to the heavens and its sight, to all of the earth,

and its foliage {was} beautiful, and its fruit {was} great, and food for all {was} in it; under it the beast of the field dwelled, and in its branches the birds of the heavens resided,

it {is} you, O king, who have become great and have become strong. And your greatness has become great and has reached to the heavens, and your dominion, to the end of the earth. \*

And that the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heavens and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let its portion be with the beast of the field until that seven times pass over him,’ \*

this {is} the interpretation, O king, and it {is} the decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king,

that they will be driving you from man, and your dwelling will be with the beast of the field. And they will feed you grass like oxen, and they will be wetting you with the dew of the heavens. And seven times will pass over you until that you know that the Most High {is} ruler over the kingdom of man and to whom that he wishes, he gives it. \*

And that they said to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom {will be} enduring for you from that you know that the heavens {are} ruler.

Therefore, O king, may my counsel seem good to you, and may you break off your sin in righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.” \*

The whole came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of 12 months, he was walking upon the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

The king answered and was saying, “{Is} this not the great Babylon, which I, I have built it for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” \*

The word {was} still in the mouth of the king; a voice fell from the heavens: “To you they are saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘The kingdom has passed from you.

And they will be driving you from man, and your dwelling will be with the beast of the field. They will feed you grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you until that you know that the Most High {is} ruler over the kingdom of man, and to whom that he wishes, he gives it.’” \*

In that moment, the word finished against Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from man, and he ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens until that his hair had become great like eagles and his nails, like birds. \*

But at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward the heavens, and my reason returned to me. And I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one living forever. For his dominion is a dominion of eternity, and his kingdom {is} with generation and generation. \* 35 And all of the dwellers of the earth are being regarded {as} nothing, and as he wishes, he is doing among the army of the heavens and the dwellers of the earth. And there is none who strikes his hand or says to him, “What are you doing?” \*

At that time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and my splendor returned to me. And my counselors and my nobles sought me, and my kingdom was established to me, and exceeding greatness was added to me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and glorifying the King of the heavens, for all of his deeds are truth and his ways are justice, and {those} who are walking about in pride, he is able to humble. \*