Nebuchadnezzar Declares What the Most High God Has Done for Him

^{1 1} Nebuchadnezzar the king to all of the nations, the peoples and languages that live in the whole earth: “May your prosperity increase!

1. Daniel 4:1–4:37 in the English Bible is 3:31–4:34 in the Hebrew Bible

² It is pleasing to me to recount the signs and wonders that the Most High God worked for me.

³ How great are his signs and wonders, how strong is his kingdom, ⌞an everlasting kingdom⌟;¹ and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.

1. Literally “a kingdom of eternity”

The Dream and the King’s Search for an Interpreter

⁴ “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace.

⁵ And I saw a dream and a revelation on my bed and it frightened me, and the visions of my head terrified me.

⁶ And a decree was ⌞sent out⌟,¹ ordering that all the wise men of Babylon were to be brought in before me so that they may make known to me the explanation of the dream.

1. Literally “put/placed”

⁷ Then the magicians,¹ the conjurers,² the ⌞astrologers⌟³ and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.⁴

1. Or “soothsayer-priests”
2. Or “enchanters”
3. Literally “Chaldeans”
4. Or “interpretation”

⁸ Then ⌞at last⌟¹ Daniel came before me ⌞whose name was⌟² Belteshazzar, ⌞according to⌟³ the name of my god, and ⌞in whom was the spirit of the holy gods⌟,⁴ ⌞and I related the dream to him⌟.⁵

1. Literally “until another”
2. Literally “who name his”
3. Literally “like”
4. Literally “and who the spirit of gods holy in him”
5. Literally “and the dream before him I told”

⁹ “ ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians,¹ I myself know that the spirit² of the holy gods is in you, and ⌞no mystery is too difficult⌟³ for you. Now tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its explanation.⁴

1. Or “soothsayer-priests”
2. Or “a spirit”
3. Literally “every mystery is not difficult”
4. Or “interpretation”

¹⁰ Now these were the visions of my head as I was lying on my bed: I was ⌞gazing⌟¹ and, look, a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was exalted.

1. Literally “seeing”

¹¹ The tree grew and it became strong, and its height reached to heaven,¹ and ⌞it was visible to the end of the whole earth⌟.²

1. Or “the sky”
2. Literally “and its appearance was to the end of the whole earth”

¹² Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was provision for all. Under it the animals¹ of the field sought shade, and in its branches the birds of heaven² nested, and from it all the living beings were fed.

1. Aramaic “animal”
2. Or “the sky”

¹³ “ ‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher,¹ and a holy one, came down from heaven.

1. Or “angelic being”

¹⁴ He cried ⌞aloud⌟¹ and so he said: “Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

1. Literally “in strength”

¹⁵ But the stump of its roots leave in the earth, ⌞along with⌟¹ a band of iron and bronze; leave it in the grass of the field. And in² the dew of heaven let it³ be watered, and with the animals⁴ let his lot be in the grass of the earth.

1. Literally “and with”
2. Or “with”
3. Or “him,” that is, the king
4. Aramaic “animal”

¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a human,¹ and let the mind of an animal be given to him, and let seven times pass over him.

1. Or “the human”

¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the command of the holy ones, ⌞in order that⌟¹ the living will know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and ⌞to whomever⌟² he wills he gives it, and he even sets the humblest of men over it.”

1. Literally “until matter that”
2. Literally “to whom that”

¹⁸ “ ‘This is the dream that I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, saw. Now¹ you, Belteshazzar, declare its explanation, ⌞for⌟² 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.’

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “all of because that”

Daniel Relates and Interprets the Dream

¹⁹ “Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was distressed ⌞for some time⌟,¹ and his thoughts disturbed him. The king answered and he said, ‘Belteshazzar, let the dream and its explanation not disturb you.’ Belteshazzar answered and said, ‘My lord, may the dream and its explanation be for those who hate you and for your enemies.

1. Literally “for one hour”

²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong and its height reached to heaven¹ and ⌞it was visible to the end of the whole earth⌟,²

1. Or “the sky”
2. Literally “its appearance to the all the earth”

²¹ and its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and so there was provision for all in it, and the animals¹ of the field lived under it and in its branches nest the birds of heaven,²

1. Aramaic “animal”
2. Or “the sky”

²² —it is you, O king, who have grown great and you have grown strong, and so your greatness has increased and it has reached to heaven¹ and your sovereignty to the end of the earth.

1. Or “the sky”

²³ And inasmuch that the king saw the watcher, a holy one coming down from heaven¹ and he said, “Cut down the tree and destroy it, but the stump of its root in the earth leave with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field, and let it be watered with the dew of heaven and let his lot be with the animals of the field ⌞until seven times have passed over him⌟.”²

1. Or “the sky”
2. Literally “until that seven times they pass over him”

²⁴ This is the explanation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king:

²⁵ you will be driven away ⌞from human society⌟¹ and ⌞you will dwell⌟² with the animals³ of the field, and you will be caused to graze grass like the oxen ⌞yourself⌟,⁴ and you will be watered with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time will pass over you until that you have acknowledged that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and ⌞to whom he wills⌟⁵ he gives it.

1. Literally “from the humankind”
2. Literally “your dwelling will be”
3. Aramaic “animal”
4. Literally “with respect to you”
5. Literally “that he wills”

²⁶ ⌞And in that⌟¹ they said to leave alone the stump of the tree’s root, so your kingdom will be restored for you ⌞when⌟² you acknowledge that heaven is sovereign.

1. Literally “And for”
2. Literally “from that”

²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin remove¹ with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, ⌞in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity⌟.’ ”²

1. Or “replace”
2. Literally “if will be prolongation for your prosperity”

God Judges the King for His Hubris

²⁸ ⌞All this happened⌟¹ to Nebuchadnezzar the king.

1. Literally “It came upon”

²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of ⌞the royal palace⌟¹ of Babylon.

1. Literally “the place of the kingdom”

³⁰ And the king answered and said, “Is this not the great Babylon which I have built as a royal palace by the strength of my own power, and for the glory of my own majesty?”

³¹ While the words were still in the mouth of the king, a voice from heaven came, saying, ‘To you, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you,

³² and you will be driven away from ⌞human society⌟¹ and your dwelling will be with the animals² of the field and they will cause you to graze the grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind and that he gives it to whom he wills.’

1. Literally “the humankind”
2. Aramaic “animal”

³³ ⌞Immediately⌟¹ the word was fulfilled ⌞concerning⌟² Nebuchadnezzar, and he was expelled from ⌞human society⌟³ and he ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until his hair was like the hair of an eagle and his nails grew like a bird’s claws.

1. Literally “In that hour”
2. Literally “over”
3. Literally “the humankind”

The King Praises and Extols the Most High God

³⁴ “But at the end of ⌞that period⌟,¹ I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and then my reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and ⌞the one who lives forever⌟² I praised and I honored. “For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.

1. Literally “the day”
2. Literally “the one living forever”

³⁵ And all the dwellers of the earth are regarded as nothing, and he does ⌞according to⌟¹ his desire in the host of heaven and among the dwellers of earth, and there is not one who can hold back his hand, or ⌞ask him⌟,² ‘What are you doing?’

1. Literally “as”
2. Literally “or asks to him”

³⁶ “⌞At that time⌟¹ my reason returned to me, and also the glory of my kingdom and my majesty and splendor returned to me, and my advisers and my lords² searched me out, and I was established over my kingdom and abundant greatness was added to me.

1. Literally “In it the time”
2. Or “nobles”

³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,¹ and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

1. Or “true”